On 06/13/2013 at approximately 16:56 hrs I received a call from TWRA Dispatch regarding a boating accident with injuries on Timsford Lake, around Awalt bridge area.  Later I spoke to sheriff''s deputy by phone, who was on scene with the vessel and I told him that I was in route, and instructed him to preserve any evidence that might be of any help to me, and to keep all person''s involved there.  As I passed the Awalt bridge by vessel, I saw that the rescue squad had already began their search for the location where the person went down.  Upon arriving at the scene, I asked them where the pontoon in question was located at. They said that it was down the lake, pointing southeast.  I finally found the pontoon vessel close to the mile marker 9 bank, with another vessel that was assisting them. I spoke to deputy, and told them that we needed to get the vessel to the Holiday Landing boat ramp, so I could talk to the witnesses, and get statements, while the rescue squad got their team together. 

Note: The wind and waves on the lake were very bad, making vessel operation very challenging. When we arrived at the boat ramp of Holiday Landing, I began getting witness statements about the accident, and the location of where the victim went down.  Based upon statements from the witnesses, the family had rented a party pontoon from the Holiday Landing and Resort around 2:30 pm on 06/13/2013 to do a little promotional outing for the victim’s work place, which was a local radio station.  The victim was the operator of the vessel that day, while the other family and friends gave out drinks(sun-drops) and T-shirts for the radio promotiom.  The pontoon that was rented, was a two tier with a slide on the top tier extending down to the water.  (Wife), (Step-mom), and two small children where located on top and (Victim), (His Dad) and (Friend) were located on the bottom tier.  The vessel was drifting southeast, in the middle of Big Hurricane Creek, close to Awalt bridge, when every body was telling the operator’s step mom to go off the slide, which she did.  When she surfaced, the vessel had drifted about forty yards, and as she tried to swim back to the vessel it was drifting away faster than she could swim, and as the waves started to over take her, Operator was trying to get the vessel started to go and pick her up, but it would not start, so Operator dove into the water to try and save Stepmom, as Operator’s dad tried to get the vessel started.  Operator was having to fight the waves as he tried to make it to Stepmom, which was now along way off, and as he made it to her, he grabbed her wrist and helped her roll over on her back and then let go.  Operator’s dad got the vessel started and headed to Stepmom,  once there, with help, lifted her over the rail and into the front of the vessel, and then turning their attention to Operator, he was nowhere to be seen.  The  Rescue squad resumed the search till dark when equipment failure stopped the search till the next morning.  body was found by sonar 06/14/2013 around 11:30 am and was recovered 06/14/2013 around 13:00 hrs
WINCHESTER