THE OPERATOR OF VESSEL 1, OPERATOR STATED THAT SHE AND ONE OTHER OCCUPANT BOARDED THE VESSEL AND HEADED INTO THE CURRITUCK SOUND.  AFTER LEAVING FROM A DOCK AT THE END OF ELLIOTT LANE, SHE STOPPED THE VESSEL NEAR THE MIDDLE OF THE CURRITUCK SOUND SO THAT SHE AND OCCUPANT COULD GO SWIMMING.  OPERATOR STATED TO CURRITUCK COUNTY SHERIFF THAT SHE AND OCCUPANT HAD CONSUMED SOME ALCOHOL BEFORE ENTERING THE WATER, HOWEVER AN EXACT AMOUNT IS UNKNOWN.  ACCORDING TO OPERATOR, THE VESSEL WAS NOT ANCHORED BEFORE THEY ENTERED THE WATER.  ALTHOUGH THE VESSEL WAS PROPERLY EQUIPPED WITH PFD'S, OPERATOR STATED THAT NEITHER SHE OR OCCUPANT WERE WEARING THEM WHEN THEY LEFT THE VESSEL.  THE STRONG NORTHEASTERLY WIND BAGAN TO BLOW THE UNATTENDED VESSEL AWAY FROM THE TWO WOMAN, AND THEY BOTH BEGAN SWIMMING TO CATCH UP TO IT.  OPERATOR STATED THAT SHE SWAM FOR SEVERAL MINUTES BEFORE LOOKING BACK AND NOT BEING ABLE TO SEE OCCUPANT.  SHE STATED THAT SHE CONTINUED TO SWIM AFTER THE VESSEL FOR NEARLY AN HOUR, IN WATER SOMETIMES OVER HER HEAD.  THE VESSEL EVENTUALLY CAME ASHORE NEAR THE MOUTH OF THE LITTLE NARROWS, ALLOWING OPERATOR TO CATCH UP TO THE BOATD IT.  OPERATOR STATED THAT WHEN SHE REACHED THE VESSEL, SHE IMMEDIATELY CALLED 911 FROM HER CELL PHONE.  CURRITUCK COUNTY 911 RECIEVED THE CALL FROM OPERATOR AT APPROXIMATELY 2000HRS.  CURRITUCK COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPT, AS WELL AS CURRITUCK COUNTY FIRE AND EMS WERE THEN DISPATCH TO GUARD, THEY SEARCHED THROUGH THE NIGHT AND THE FOLLOWING SUNDAY FOR OCCUPANT.  A COMMERCIAL FISHERMAN LOCATED THE BODY OF OCCUPANT AROUND 100 HRS MONDAY MORNING (29 JUNE) IN THE CURRITUCK SOUND NORTHEAST OF THE POPLAR BRANCH ACCESS AREA.  THE FAILURE TO ANCHOR THE VESSEL BEFORE ENTERING THE WATER IS BELIEVED TO BE THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT, WITH POSSIBLE ALCOHOL USE AND FAILURE TO WEAR A PFD BEING CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.  NO CHARGES HAVE BEEN FILED AS A RESULT OF THE ACCIDENT.
POPLAR BRANCH                 