Investigation Revealed: Vessel #1 was towed with the registered owner on board, to the area of National Park/Beach Hill water front by Witness #3 to a lower depth of water. Vessel #1 had experienced engine trouble in deeper water near the shipping channel.  Vessel #1 was towed to shallow water in order to have sufficient line length to anchor. Owner #1 then anchored the vessel.  Witness Accounts as well as investigation at the scene revealed that vessel #1's owner had two Kayaks mounted on vessel #1's roof. Victim#1 brought one of the Kayaks down from the roof and tied it to the stern of vessel #1.  Victim #1 then attempted to launch the second Kayak into the waterway from the roof of the vessel. While attempting to launch the second Kayak, Victim #1 lost grasp of same and the kayak began to drift away from vessel #1.  Victim #1 then entered the Delaware River, either accidently or on purpose, either of which could not be determined. Same became caught in the Delaware River's outgoing south bound current and was unable to swim to safety. Victim #1 was seen by witnesses to be in distress attempting to swim in the Delaware River  and was lost from site behind "No Name Island". Surface search by NJSP and an airsearch were negative. 

09/01/2013:

On this date the body of victim #1 was reported found by a passerby vessel on VHF ch 16.  Victim #1 surfaced in the same general area where he went missing.  Westville Fire Department recovered victim #1 and transported same to shore by Fire Boat. Gloucester County ME Kieth Zane  examined victim #1 on location. Victim #1 was positively identified 
by his wife(witness #1).

10/15/2013

A review of the Postmortem Examination Report, Toxicology Report  and death certificate was conducted by the investigator. Dr performed the Postmortem. The Postmortem and autopsy report list cause of death as drowning and manner of death as an accident, which are consistant with the findings of this investigation. Nothing suspicious was uncovered in the Toxicology report.
National Park