RedactedNarrative: Detailed Narrative
  Bryan County
  4/29/2018
  On April 29, 2018, I, Corporal, an investigator for the Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division’s (DNR LED) Critical Incident Reconstruction Team (C.I.R.T.), was notified of an incident involving 3 Hispanic males and the capsizing of their rental canoe on the Ogeechee River in Bryan County.  Bryan County Emergency Services (BCES) was notified by an employee at Ogeechee Outpost, the canoe rental business, at approximately 2114 hours that one Hispanic male was missing.  BCES noted difficulty in obtaining incident details due to a language barrier with the two Hispanic males.  The incident location was somewhere upriver from the Highway 204 Bridge and Morgan’s Bridge boat ramp.
  
  DNR LED Corporals responded to the scene and a search of the river was conducted throughout the night. The search ended at approximately 0200 hours on April 30.  Deputies from the Bryan County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), First Responders from BCES, Effingham County, Pembroke Fire Department, and a Coast Guard helicopter participated in the search.
  
  I observed floating beer bottles and pieces of Styrofoam cooler that I was told came from the capsized canoe along the Bryan County bank of the Ogeechee River.  Nothing else remarkable was observed.  We did not find Victim’s body.  
  
  At approximately 1230 hours, I spoke with Ogeechee Outpost canoe rentals.  Ogeechee Outpost is approximately 1/10th of a mile up river from the Morgan’s Bridge boat ramp at 182 Rose Drive, Ellabell, Ga. 31308.  Subject said Subject1 and Subject2 had returned to the Ogeechee Outpost without Victim at approximately 2030 hours.  Subject said Subject1 and Subject2 were distraught.  Subject said her son attempted to communicate with Subject1 and Subject2 to determine how to help.  
  
  Subject said Son called BCES to report Victim was missing.  Subject said she and Son got into the canoe and paddled up river to the “Swirl” looking for Victim.  Subject showed me the canoe that had been rented by the three the previous day.  The canoe, a green Old Town Discovery 160K, was pulled to the bank.  Within the canoe were 3 personal flotation devices (PFD), two paddles and some river water.  I photographed the canoe and obtained a written statement from Subject. (See attached statement)
  
  Subject1 and Subject2 arrived at the Morgan’s Bridge boat ramp.  A request was made to the Richmond Hill Police Department for a Spanish speaking officer.  Officer arrived at approximately 1530 hours.  I asked Officer to have Subject1 and Subject2 describe the incident.  The following is a summary of what Officer interpreted to me:
  
  Victim, Subject1 and Subject2 rented the canoe and paddled up river past the “Swirl”.  At some point they stopped on the Effingham County side of the river to eat lunch.  After eating, they paddled down river and in the section called the “Swirl”, Victim, who was seated in the middle, stood up and attempted to grab overhanging tree branches.  This action caused the canoe to capsize and all three went into the water.  Two people were able to swim to the Bryan County side of hte river but the third was not seen again.