RedactedNarrative: On 9/7/14 at approximately 7:00pm a boating incident occurred on lake norman near the mouth of ramsey creek in cornelius, nc. The vessel was owned and operated by Operator who was operating the vessel toward blythe landing with 7 people on board. The wind caused a hat to blow out of the vessel. Operator turned the vessel around, stopped the vessel, and jumped in the water to retrieve the hat. Operator began to have difficulty returning to the vessel. The victim jumped in the water to assist Operator. Both men began struggling to stay afloat. A third person entered the water to take the men a life jacket. Operator was able to obtain a life jacket. Victim disappeared under the water and never resurfaced. 
  
  Operator had been operating the vessel for approximately 1 hour on lake norman. He and his 6 passengers had stopped for a short period of time and everyone on board the vessel had consumed a small amount of alcohol. Operator decided to turn the vessel back towards blythe landing where he had launched. He wanted to get back to the landing before dark. He was traveling at a cruising speed approximately 5-10 mph when victim stuck his head out of an open cabin hatch located at the bow of the vessel. Victim was wearing a black ball cap. A moderate wind of approximately 7-10 mph was blowing that evening. The wind blew the ball cap from victim's head and out of the vessel. Operator stated that he did not want to go back to retrieve the hat, but he was persuaded by victim to do so. Operator turned the vessel around and went back to where the hat was floating. Operator stopped the vessel on the downwind side of the hat and turned the engine off. He removed his shirt and shoes and jumped in the water to retrieve the hat. Operator did not put on a life jacket before entering the water. He retrieved the hat and began swimming back to the vessel. He realized that the wind and waves were taking the vessel away from him faster than he could swim. Operator called out to the people on board the vessel to throw him a life jacket. One of the passengers on board attempted to throw Operator a type ii life jacket but the wind made it impossible to throw it any distance. The life jacket ended up on the surface of the water in between Operator and the vessel. 
   
  At this point, victim realized Operator was in trouble and was struggling to swim. Victim jumped in the water and swam out to Operator. Victim did not put on a life jacket before entering the water. Victim grabbed Operator around his neck with his right arm and attempted to swim back to the vessel. Immediately the two men began to have difficulty staying on the surface of the water. Operator stated that he panicked because he felt as if he was being drug underwater by victim. He pushed away from victim and both men surfaced a few feet apart from one another. No person remaining on board the vessel knew how to drop the anchor or how to start the engine of the vessel. 
   
  At this point a third person entered the water in order to help the two struggling men. Subject did not put on a life jacket before entering the water. Subject retrieved the type ii life jacket that was floating on the surface of the water and swam it out to the men. She stated she gave the life jacket to victim who in turn handed it to Operator. Operator grabbed the life jacket and clutched it to his chest. Operator and Subject stated they never saw victim after this moment. Victim went under the water and never resurfaced. The wind kept blowing the vessel farther away from the now two people on the surface of the water. a passenger on board the vessel called 911 for help. Subject and Operator floated on the surface of the water for approximately 15 minutes until help could arrive. Subject was pulled out of the water by good samaritan who happened to be operating his vessel in the area and saw her in the water. Operator was pulled out of the water by a responding charlotte mecklenburg police department vessel. 
   
  A sea