On saturday april 3, 2010 at around 6:10 am, a morrow mtn state park employee approached the access area and heard someone calling for help out in the lake while holding a flash light.  The victim stated that he had fallen from his boat.  Employee went to the park office where ne notified another person.  Both individuals returned to the access area.  Other person was unable to get a signal on his cell phone and returned to the park office to call 911 while employee stayed and talked to the victim.  At around 6:30am, morrow mtn state park ranger was notified and patrolled to the access area where the state park boat was launched.  All three individuals searched in the dark for the victim in which they located face down in the water.  The victim was accidentally struck by the state park boat propeller while searching for the victim in the dark.  The victim was brought back to the access area where ems was standing by.  The 16 foot motoboat was discovered at around 9:00am on the montgomery county shoreline.  The boat appeared to have had enough momentum to get approximately eight feet up on the shore.  The navigational lights were still on, but weak due to battery loss.  No alcohol was found.  A type ii life jacket and a type iv throw cushion were found in the bow of the boat in a closed compartment.  The victim was not wearing a life saving device.  The kill switch was in place, but wrapped around the handle and a portion of the motor mount.  The throttle was found to have an approximate quarter turn.  It was later confirmed by the stanly county medical examiners office that the victim's cause of death was "immediate drowning".
ALBEMARLE                     