At approximately 10:33 a.m. on 6/19/2013, i received a call from harrison county dispatch advising of a possible drowning in blue river near milltown.  I contacted central dispatch and ico cpl. reference the incident and went en route.  Local dispatch advised that several fire and ems units were already en route. 
Upon arriving on scene, units were advised by a volunteer fire unit involved in the search that the victim had been located approximately .5 mile upstream of the dead end of mudd lane, which is north of milltown.  Statements obtained at the scene were that operator and his wife, operator’s wife, had been canoeing on blue river when their canoe became lodged against a tree that was across the river channel.  Both subjects and the canoe were pushed underwater beneath the tree.  Prior to the incident, the group had been on the water for about 2 ½ hours, having put in the river at 8:00 a.m. at the totten ford bridge access.  Operator’s wife was able to get free and exit the water downstream of the obstruction downstream.  Operator was trapped underwater approximately 3-5 minutes.
Operator was freed by another member of his canoeing party.  the victim's grandson, observed the incident occur and immediately entered the water to free operator.  Upon getting the victim out of the water, cpr was performed on the victim by a member of the group.  subject stated that when she did an assessment of the victim prior to initiating cpr, that he had no pulse, blue lips, and some hemorrhaging in the eyes.  After performing cpr for an undetermined period of time, the victim starting coughing up blood and water while regaining consciousness.
an employee of cave country canoes in milltown, used a jet drive aluminum boat to access the victim and transport him to responders waiting at mudd lane.  When the victim was transferred from the boat to the ambulance, he was conscious and alert.  The victim was transported by ground to milltown where he was taken by helicopter to university of louisville hospital.  The victim died of complications while en route.
An autopsy was scheduled to be performed at the jefferson county kentucky medical examiner's office on 6/20/2013.  Ico detective sgt. attended the autopsy.  His supplemental report of the findings is attached.  The medical examiner determined that the victim died from complications relating to a previous heart condition (heart attack) which was aggravated by the near drowning incident.
Additional responders included the harrison and crawford county sheriff's departments, milltown vfd, ramsey vfd, and harrison county ems.
Milltown