MIDDLETOWN DISPATCH TOLD ME THE ACCIDENT HAD OCCURRED NEAR THE SOFTBALL FIELDS AND WHEN I ARRIVED IN THE AREA I FOUND A CANOE BROKEN WITH A PORTION ON SHORE AND THE MAJORITY LODGED IN A NEARBY LOG JAM.  ALSO IN THE JAM WAS A YELLOW TUBE AND NYLON ROPE APPEARING TO BE ATTACHED TO THE CANOE.  I TOOK PHOTOGRAPHS.      
I CONTACTED SGT. ON 6/23/10 AT ABOUT 5PM AND HE TOLD ME HE HAD RESPONDED TO THE ACCIDENT ON FALL CREEK.  HE TOLD ME BY THE TIME HE HAD ARRIVED ALL PEOPLE WERE OUT OF THE WATER AND EMS HAD ALREADY LEFT FOR ST JOHNS HOSPITAL IN ANDERSON.  SPEAKING WITH SGT. I LEARNED the operator HAD BEEN HOSPITALIZED FOR INJURIES RECEIVED DURING THE ACCIDENT.  SGT. GAVE ME operator's CURRENT ADDRESS WHERE I THEN WENT.  
ARRIVING AT  RESIDENCE I FOUND THE BOW PORTION OF THE CANOE I PHOTOGRAPHED IN THE DRIVEWAY.   SPOKE WITH HIS MOTHER who TOLD ME the operator AND HIS FRIENDS HAD DECIDED TO CANOE DOWN FALL CREEK (ACROSS FROM THEIR HOUSE).  mother TOLD ME SHE HAD FOLLOWED THEM AND TAKEN PHOTOS.  SHE TOLD ME operator HAD PLANNED TO REMOVE HIS CANOE AT THE NEAREST BRIDGE DOWNSTREAM FROM WHERE THEY PUT IN BUT HAD DECIDED TO CONTINUE AT THE LAST MINUTE.  
BEFORE I HAD LEFT operator ARRIVED HOME AND I SPOKE WITH HIM IN PERSON.  HE TOLD ME HE HAD GONE CANOEING WITH 4 FRIENDS and TOLD ME HE WAS IN THE FRONT OF THE CANOE.  ON A TUBE ATTACHED TO THE CANOE BY A ROPE WAS one other person.  
ASKING operator WHAT HAD HAPPENED HE SAID THEY HAD LAUNCHED AND CANOED DOWNSTREAM UNTIL THEY BEGAN TO ENTER AN AREA WITH TREES/BRUSH/LOGS.  AS THEY LEANED TO AVOID THE DEBRIS THE CANOE OVERTURNED AND operator BECAME SWEPT DOWNSTREAM AND BECAME WEDGED WITH HIS BACK AGAINST A TREE AND THE CANOE PINNING HIM UNDERWATER.  
AFTER SPEAKING WITH SGT AND towed person I LEARNED THAT towed person AND OTHERS RESPONDING TO THE AREA PULLED operator FROM THE WATER TO THE WAITING AMBULANCE.  SPEAKING WITH operator HE SAID one other person HAD ALSO BECAME STUCK BUT HAD FREED HIMSELF.  
ASKING mom ABOUT THE INCIDENT SHE PROVIDED ME WITH PHOTOS SHE HAD TAKEN PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.  PHOTOS SHOW operato AND another person WITH CANOE PADDLES OPERATING THE BOAT.  two others are SHOWn asPASSENGERS IN THE CANOE.  
ASKING ABOUT THE ACCIDENT operator ADMITTED HE DID NOT HAVE ANY LIFE JACKETS ON BOARD THE BOAT.
Middletown                    