RedactedNarrative: A man was kayaking with friends when he paddled too close to a low head dam. He was pulled into the face of the dam by the current and his kayak capsized. He was pulled from the water a short time later and transported to the hospital. He died the next morning from asphyxia due to drowning.  
           
  Details of the investigation/incident:     
     
          on sunday may 29th, 2022, i, indiana conservation officer was on boat patrol in steuben county when i received a phone call from steuben county dispatch about a possible drowning incident in lagrange county. I drove from lake james in steuben county to ontario dam in lagrange county. By the time i arrived on scene, victim had already been air-lifted to parkview regional medical center (prmc) in fort wayne. 
    
  Through my investigation, i found the following events had occurred. On sunday, may 29th, around 4:30 p.m., victim and a group of friends drove to the ontario dam for an evening of kayaking on the pigeon river. At approximately 5:00 p.m., victim paddled a yellow and black kayak from the down-stream side of ontario dam, 2500-2698 e 450 n, howe, in 46746, to the boil line of the dam. 
  
  He began taking selfies about 2 feet from the south edge of the dam, when he crossed the front edge of the boil line and was pulled bow first into the face of the dam. Victim attempted to paddle in reverse, but the force of the water was too strong. 
  
  Upon contact with the water at the dam face, the kayak was turned sideways and immediately tipped. Victim was rolled in the water and taken under the water line many times over a period of 3-5 minutes. He eventually stopped moving and went under, his body was released from the recirculating current and came to the surface a few yards downstream from the boil line. He was pulled from the water and c.p.r. began immediately by onlookers and pigeon river staff. He was transported to prmc via helicopter. He was placed on a life support ventilator and hospital staff began running brain scans.  
    
  I spoke with the family at prmc and obtained further information. There were many belongings left in the river as well as the kayak, which hadn't surfaced at that time. I left the hospital at 10:15 p.m. i spoke with hospital staff at 10:24 p.m. who advised the victim was still on a ventilator at that time and would have brain damage if he survived.  
    
  On monday may 30th, i was off duty and missed a call from the allen county coroner's office. At 2:04 p.m. i contacted the allen county coroner's office to inquire if they had received any new information on the status of victim. He had been pronounced dead at the hospital at 02:06 a.m. from asphyxia due to drowning. No autopsy will be performed at this time, but the coroner's office is waiting on toxicology results. I spoke with victim' girlfriend, who informed me they had the kayak in their possession at that time.  
    
  This ends my involvement in this case.  
    
  