RedactedNarrative: ON APRIL 3, 2016, OPERATOR, AND PASSENGER, WERE FISHING A BASS TOURNAMENT ON LAKE GASTON.  THE WEATHER CODITIONS WERE HAZARDOUS DUE TO 20-30 MPH WINDS.  THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS APPROXIMATLY 30-40 DEGREES AND THE WATER TEMPERATURE WAS APPROXIMATLY 50-55 DEGREES.  THE WATER CONDITIONS WERE 2-4 FOOT WAVES ABOUT EVERY 3-6 SECONDS.
         
           VESSEL 1, A 2014 TRITON 20XS BASS BOAT, WAS TRAVELING SOUTH/SOUTHEAST ON LAKE GASTON. VESSEL 1 HIT A WAVE CAUSING VESSEL 1 TO GO AIRBORNE.  WHEN VESSEL 1 ENTERED BACK INTO THE WATER, IT MADE A SHARP RIGHT TURN EJECTING THE OPERATOR AND PASSENGER INTO THE WATER.  VESSEL 1 TRAVELED APPROXIMATLEY 60 YARDS SOUTHWEST.  VESSEL 1 CAME TO REST UNOCCPIED AND BEGAN TO DRIFT EAST TOWARD LAKE GASTON DAM.  BOTH THE OPERATOR AND PASSENGER WERE WEARING A PFD AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT.  THE PASSENGER WAS FOUND FLOATING FACE UP WITH AN AUTO INFLATABLE PFD DEPLOYED. THE PASSENGER WAS PULLED FROM THE WATER BY GOOD SAMARITAN (ANOTHER FISHERMAN IN A DIFFERENT BASS TOURNAMENT).  CPR WAS ADMINISTERED TO THE PASSENGER BY GOOD SAMARITAN UNTIL TAKEN OVER BY EMS. THE PASSENGER WAS AIR LIFTED TO VIDANT MEDICAL CENTER.  THE PASSENGER RECEIVED A BROKEN LOWER LEFT ARM AND WAS TREATED AND RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL.
        
         THE OPERATOR WAS WEARING A MANUAL INFLATABLE PFD WHICH WAS FOUND FLOATING IN THE WATER WITH THE KILL SWITCH STILL ATTACHED TO THE PFD, AND THE PFD WAS NOT DEPLOYED AND UNBUCKLED.  THE PFD APPEARED TO BE IN GOOD CONDITION AND IN WORKING ORDER.  A PAIR OF SKI GOGGLES AND A TOBOGGAN WERE ALSO FOUND FLOATING IN THE WATER NEAR WHERE THE PASSENGER WAS  PULLED FROM THE WATER.  THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE VESSEL OR MOTOR ON THE VESSEL.  THE STIRRING WAS HYDROLIC AND APPEARED TO BE WORKING PROPERLY.  THE INSIDE OF THE VESSEL WAS DRY ALL EXCEPT THE BACK DECK.  A FEW FISHING RODS WERE BROKEN THAT WAS LOCATED NEXT TO THE PASSENGER SEAT.   
           
         ROANOKE WILDWOODS FIRE DEPARTMENT WITH THE HELP OF MANY SURROUNDING COUNTIES AND RESCUE SQUADS ACROSS NORTH CAROLINA SEARCHED FOR THE BODY OF OPERATOR FOR TEN DAYS.  ON APRIL 14, 2016, A PERSON ON THE SHORE OF LAKE GASTON SAW SOMETHING FLOATING NEAR WHERE THE ACCIDENT HAD TAKEN PLACE.  THE BYSTANDER USED BINOCULARS TO GET A BETTER LOOK AT THE FLOATING OBJECT AND COULD SEE A HAND STICKING UP OUT OF THE WATER.  THE BYSTANDER CALLED 911 AND REPORTED THE BODY FLOATING IN LAKE GASON AND KEPT THE BODY INSIGHT UNTIL OFFICIALS ARRIVED.
   
         OPERATOR'S BODY WAS RETRIEVED FROM LAKE GASTON AND TRANSPORTED TO BOYDS FUNERAL HOME IN WARRENTON NORTH CAROLINA WHERE A MEDICAL EXAMINER WAS WAITING.  THE MEDICAL EXAMINER CHECKED OPERATOR FOR BROKEN BONES AND LACERATIONS.  OPERATOR DID NOT APPEAR TO HAVE ANY BROKEN BONES OR LACERATIONS.  OPERATOR WAS WEARING  A GORTEX RAIN JACKET,  ZIP UP LIGHT WEIGHT JACKET, A SWEAT SHIRT, AND TWO T-SHIRTS AND GLOVES WITH THE FINGERS CUT OUT ON THE UPPER PART OF HIS BODY.  OPERATOR WAS WEARING GORTEX RAIN PANTS, BLUE JEANS, LONG JOHNS, UNDER WEAR, TWO PAIR OF SOCKS, AND HIKING BOOTS ON THE LOWER PART OF THE BODY.  THE MEDICAL EXAMINER ANNOUNCED THE CAUSE OF DEATH TO BE FROM DROWNING.
   
          ON MAY 3, 2016, OFFICER1 PULLED THE JERK TAB TO INFLATE THE CORD.  THE PFD DID NOT ACTIVATE ON THE FIRST PULL.  OFFICER1 PULLED THE JERK TAB TO INFLATE TAB A SECOND TIME.  THE PFD BEGAN TO INFLATE SLOWLY.  THE PFD DID NOT FULLY AND PROPERLY INFLATE.  IT IS UNKNOWN WHETHER THE PFD CAME OFF OF THE OPERATOR WHEN HE ENTERED THE WATER, OR WHETHER THE OPERATOR ATTEMPTED TO PULL THE JERK TAB TO INFLATE CORD AND THE PFD FAILED TO INFLATE, OR WHETHER THE OPERATOR REMOVED THE PFD WHILE IN THE WATER.  THE PFD WAS FOUND NOT INFLATED, UNBUCKLED, AND  FLOATING ON THE TOP OF THE WATER.