RedactedNarrative: On Tuesday, April 12, 2022, at approximately 1240 hours, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Officers responded to a single vessel incident in the Estero River, located in Lee County. A 13’6” Perception kayak (V1) was traveling east with two subjects onboard. The incident occurred approximately 75 yards west of the Sandy Lane bridge and approximately 10 feet from the south shoreline. While traveling around a bend, V1 traveled beneath a low hanging tree limb. 
  
  In avoidance of the tree limb, they both leaned to one side which caused the kayak to capsize ejecting both occupants into the water without life jackets. One of the subjects was unable to stay afloat and subsequently drowned. The other was able to get to shore and call 911. The Estero Fire Department dive team recovered the body from the bottom of the river, a short distance from the incident location. 
  
  On Aprtil 12th, 2022, two people were both in actual physical control of V1.
  •	At approximately 1200 hours they rented a 13’6” Perception kayak and departed from Estero River Outfitters at 20991 S., Tamiami Trail, Estero FL 33928 and headed east along Estero River.
  •	At approximately 1230 hours V1 had traveled approximately 1/4 of a mile, rounded a bend while passing beneath a low hanging tree limb.
  •	Both operators leaned to one side causing V1 to capsize ejecting both of them into the water without life jackets. 
  •	Subject1 was able to make it to shore and call 911.
  •	Subject2 subsequently drowned and was later recovered by EFD divers from the bottom of the river and pronounced deceased by Lee County EMS at 1307 hours. 
  •	Neither operator were wearing a personal floatation device, there was two located onboard V1.
  •	Neither Subject2 nor Subject1 knew how to swim.
  •	At the time of the incident, both life jackets were secured to the stern of the kayak with a bungee style apparatus. This made the life jackets difficult to be retrieved while the kayak was in a capsized position and while Subject2 and Subject1 were struggling to stay afloat.
  •	Other than Subject1, there were no witnesses to the incident
  •	According to the District 21 Medical Examiner's Office, the primary cause of death was drowning and ruled an accident. 
  •	There was no evidence of injuries to Subject2’s body other than that which was consistent with him drowning. 
  •	During the investigation, no evidence was discovered that would indicate foul play had a role in Subject2’s death. The District 21 Medical Examiner’s Office advised the following autopsy findings:  1.    Adult man with no blunt or penetrating trauma  2.    Evidence of drowning • Pulmonary edema  • Watery gastric contents (200 milliliters) • Watery fluid in the sphenoid sinus (5 milliliters)  There was no evidence of injuries to Subject2’s body other than that which was consistent with the boating accident. The autopsy findings were consistent with him located inside V1 at the time it capsized. He was ejected into the water without a life jacket. His body was found submerged and later recovered from the bottom of the river by Estero Fire Department divers. His body was photographed as it was found and released to the District 21 Medical Examiner’s Office. According to relatives, Subject2 did not know how to swim. The cause of death for Subject2 was drowning. The manner of death was ruled an accident. The toxicology report concluded that there were no common drugs of abuse discovered in Subject2’s blood or urine at the time of the autopsy.
  