RedactedNarrative: On April 3, 2019, at approximately 0800 hours, operator launched his vessel (V-1) from Doc’s Bait House boat ramp on the Indian River in Merritt Island, in Brevard County Florida. Operator headed South towards the S.R. 520 bridge. At approximately 1100 hours a Good Samaritan boat was traveling North on the West side of the Indian River when he noticed V-1 half submerged. V-1 was approximately 150 feet from the West shoreline, and drifting in a Southwest direction. The Good Samaritan made a call to 911, and a Rockledge police officer arrived shortly after. The Good Samaritan towed V-1 to a nearby dock.  A search of the area was conducted by the Rockledge Police Department (RPD).  Victim was found deceased in the water at approximately 1230 hours in close proximity of the shoreline and incident site by RPD. 
  
  Based on evidence and information gathered to date, the following conclusions have been made:
  The cause of this incident is unknown.  There were no witnesses to the actual incident, however several possible contributing factors were noted.  
  
  The victim:
  ·	Was not wearing a PFD
  ·	Had medical issues that could have rendered him unable to swim
  The Vessel:
  ·	Contained no positive floatation material
  ·	Has a narrow beam and low gunwhales making it more susceptible to swamping and capsizing.
  
  There are no independent witnesses to the incident.  I find the most likely scenario is that the victim was either standing or seated when he fell over, breaking the tiller handle extension loose from the tiller handle.  While the victim was going overboard, the light, narrow vessel took on water.  The victim may have started to swim and encountered some problem, possibly due to his medical issues rendering him unable to swim.
  
  See ISR060674 for complete criminal investigation.
  
  The Brevard County Medical Examiner’s Office list the cause of death as asphyxia (due to drowning), and the manner of death as incidental (case #A-19-266).
  