VESSEL 1 WAS CRUISING ON THE LAKE WHEN THEY SPOTTED THE VICTIM FLOATING ON A PIECE OF STYROFOAM.  THE OPERATOR PULLED CLOSE TO THE VICTIM AND ASKED IF HE NEEDED HELP TO WHICH HE ADVISED YES.  PASSENGER STATED SHE DID NOT WANT THE SUBJECT ON HER BOAT BECAUSE HE SEEMED TO BE INTOXICATED AND SHE WAS WORRIED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF HER 12 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WHO WAS ONBOARD THE BOAT.  PASSENGERS ABOARD THE VESSEL THREW THE VICTIM A ROPE AND TOLD HIM THEY WOULD TOW HIM BACK TO BLUE BLUFF ON THE STYROFOAM.   THE VICTIM LAID ON HIS BACK ACROSS THE STYROFOAM AS THE VESSEL BEGAN TO TOW HIM.  THE VICTIM THEN ROLLED OFF THE STYROFOAM INTO THE WATER STILL HOLDING ONTO THE ROPE AND TOLD THE OPERATOR TO PULL HIM AS FAST AS HE COULD.  THE OPERATOR REFUSED TO PULL HIM THAT WAY AND THREW THE VICTIM A LIFE JACKET WHICH HE REFUSED TO WEAR.  SOMEONE ABOARD THE VESSEL CALLED 911 AS THE VESSEL CONTINUED TO TRY TO PULL THE VICTIM SLOWLY AND ADVISED OF THEIR SITUATION AT HAND.  AS THE VESSEL CONTINUED TO SLOWLY PULL THE VICTIM, THE VICTIM LET GO OF THE ROPE, WENT UNDER THE SURFACE OF THE WATER AND NEVER RESURFACED.  AREA OF THE ACCIDENT WAS APPROX 1200 YDS SOUTH OF THE BLUE BLUFF RESORT AND APPROX 500 YDS NORTH OF THE ICE BOX BLUFF NEAR THE ELK RIVER AREA.  THE VICTIM WAS RECOVERED AT APPROX 0501 HRS ON JULY 3, 2011.
GROVE                         