RedactedNarrative: On June 30, 2015, at approximately 13:00 hours I was contacted by Sergeant (SGT.) to assist (SGT.) with a boat incident to look for a missing boater at Dean’s landing in Appling County. I arrived with my vessel at approximately 14:30 hours. 
   
  I interviewed the deceased victim’s brother, who said he and his brother were fishing in a pile of rocks just up river from Dean’s landing on the Altamaha River. Brother said they had finished fishing and were floating out of the rocks trying to get the motor to start on the boat but were having problems. Brother said Victim was in the rear of the vessel attempting to start the tiller-steer Johnson 9.9 HP engine. Brother said the engine started and took off at what must have been full throttle. Brother said he yelled for Victim to cut it down but it was too late. Brother said the left side of the vessel struck a small rock sticking up causing the vessel to capsize and eject both of them into the river. Brother said he ended up hanging onto a rock in the rock pile after he came to the surface. Brother said Victim was hanging onto the capsized vessel in the river. Brother said he told his brother to stay on the boat but instead he tried to swim to him and Victim went under the water without resurfacing. Brother said a boater heard them yelling and rescued him off the rock he was hanging on. 
   
  According to Georgia Department of Natural Resources boat registration data base the registration of GA0268DK on the vessel was registered to the deceased victim. The vessel was a 1978 Fisher Marine open bottom aluminum boat. The vessel was 14 feet in length and 36 inches at the base. There was a small indentation of hull damage to the port (left side) bottom of the vessel near the chine (corner of where the bottom meets the side) located approximately 156 inches from the transom towards the bow. The vessel was powered by a Johnson 9.9 outboard tiller steer engine. The throttle control on the tiller handle appears to have been altered because it was set between slow and shift. Also upon my arrival on scene the vessel had been turned back over and was at the landing when I arrived on scene. 
   
  On June 30, 2015, I had Brother remove the vessel out of the water. I photographed the vessel and released it to Brother. I photographed the struck rock, river, and the rock pile of the incident location. I rode the river assisting in looking for the missing boater using the side scan sonar. 
   
  On July 1, 2015, I ran the vessel while side scan sonar was being utilized attempting to locate Victim until approximately 13:00 hours. At approximately 13:30 hours (SGT.) and I patrolled down river from Deans landing to Plant Hatch looking for Victim. At approximately 14:29 hours the son of Victim was returning his vessel to US 1 landing, and he said he thought he saw Victim in a curve just upriver from US 1 landing. Sgt. and I respond with Appling County Rescue and recovered the body. I transported the body to US 1 bridge and released it to Appling County Coroner.
   
  In conclusion, according to the only witness and my observations of the vessel no personal flotation devices were in use at the time of incident. Brother’s statement and my observations of the evidence on the vessel's hull damage appears to be accurate and reasonable explanation of why the vessel capsized ejecting both persons into the water. It is reasonable to find Victim was not wearing a personal flotation device and subsequently drown as a result from physical exhaustion and aspiration of water. According to the Coroner's Report and an autopsy conducted by the Savanah Coastal Crime Lab Medical Examiner's Office, the cause of death was drowning. 
   