RedactedNarrative: ON SATURDAY, MARCH 13, 2021 AT APPROXIMATELY 11:50AM, A BOATING INCIDENT OCCURRED ON FALLS RESERVOIR NEAR THE UWHARRIE NATIONAL FOREST BOAT ACCESS / CAMPING AREA IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY.  THE MANUALLY PROPELLED VESSEL, A HOMEMADE KAYAK, IS MADE OUT OF WOOD AND FIBERGLASS AND IS 16 FEET IN LENGTH.  THE VESSEL WAS OWNED AND BEING OPERATED BY OPERATOR AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. ACCORDING TO A WITNESS, OPERATOR WAS PADDLING IN THE MAIN CHANNEL WHEN HE SUDDENLY CHANGED COURSE AND HEADED TOWARDS THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY SHORELINE.  OPERATOR THEN CLOSED HIS EYES AND SLUMPED / FELL OVER TO HIS LEFT CAUSING THE KAYAK TO ROLL OVER APPROXIMATELY 50 YARDS FROM THE SHORELINE.
    
  THE OPERATOR WAS PARTICIPATING IN A KAYAKING EVENT THAT BEGAN EARLIER THAT MORNING ON FALLS RESERVOIR. THE KAYAKERS DEPARTED FROM THE FALLS RESERVOIR BOATING ACCESS AREA AND HEADED NORTH TOWARDS THE NARROWS DAM.  THE KAYAKERS TRAVELED A DISTANCE OF APPROXIMATELY TWO MILES AND THEN BEGAN TO TRAVEL BACK TO THE ACCESS AREA TO CONCLUDE THE EVENT.  OPERATOR HAD PADDLED AHEAD OF THE GROUP DISTANCING HIMSELF FROM THE OTHER KAYAKERS AND STAYED NEAR THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY SHORELINE.  A WITNESS, THAT WAS WALKING THE WATERS EDGE IN THE UWHARRIE NATIONAL FOREST, OBSERVED OPERATOR PADDLING IN THE MAIN CHANNEL.  THE WITNESS THEN NOTICED THE KAYAKER CHANGE DIRECTION AND HEAD TOWARDS THE SHORELINE.  THE WITNESS NOTICED THAT OPERATOR APPEARED TO BE IN DISTRESS.  HE OBSERVED THE KAYAKER WOBBLING WHILE PADDLING TOWARDS THE SHORLEINE AND ATTEMPT TO COAST TO THE SHORE WHEN OPERATOR CLOSED HIS EYES AND BEGAN TO FALL / SLUMP OVER TO HIS LEFT AND ULTIMATELY ROLLED THE KAYAK OVER AND INTO THE WATER. THE WITNESS YELLED OUT TO OPERATOR, "WAKE UP”!
  
  A NEARBY KAYAKER SWIFTLY PADDLED TOWARDS THE CALLS FOR HELP COMING FROM THE SHORELINE. AS HE PADDLED CLOSER, HE OBSERVED THE OVERTURNED KAYAK AND HEARD THE WITNESSES SAY, "HE WENT UNDER." THE NEARBY KAYAKER, THEN ENTERED THE WATER AND ATTEMPTED TO TURN THE KAYAK UPRIGHT. HE WAS UNABLE TO DO SO AND THEN SWAM TO THE COCKPIT AND REALIZED THE OPERATOR WAS STILL IN THE SEATED POSITION INSIDE THE KAYAK.  HE WENT UNDER WATER AND PULLED THE VICTIM OUT OF THE KAYAK AND BROUGHT HIM TO THE SURFACE.  AT THIS TIME, NC WILDLIFE OFFICER AND STANLY COUNTY SHERIFF''S DEPUTY  ARRIVED IN THE PATROL BOAT. THE TWO OFFICERS, WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE ASSISTING KAYAKER, HOISTED OPERATOR INTO THE PATROL BOAT.
  
  OPERATOR HAD NO PULSE, WAS NOT BREATHING, AND HIS SKIN WAS BLUE IN COLOR.  ONCE THE VICTIM WAS IN THE PATROL VESSEL, NC WILDLIFE OFFICER BEGAN PERFORMING CPR.  STANLY COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPUTY, IMMEDIATELY OPERATED THE PATROL BOAT BACK TO THE FALLS RESERVOIR BOATING ACCESS AREA WHERE BOTH OFFICERS ALTERNATED PERFORMING CPR UNTIL OPERATOR BEGAN BREATHING ON HIS OWN AND HAD A STABLE PULSE.  SHORTLY AFTERWARDS, STANLY COUNTY EMS ARRIVED ON SCENE AND TOOK OVER MEDICAL AID.
  
  OPERATOR WAS WEARING A TYPE II PFD BUT WAS NOT WEARING IT PROPERLY, THE PFD WAS SECURED AROUND HIS WAIST. A SMALL RIP WAS DISCOVERED IN THE FABRIC OF THE TYPE II PFD.  HOWEVER, IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THIS OCCURRED WHILE HOISTING OPERATOR INTO THE PATROL BOAT.  NEITHER ALCOHOL OR DRUGS WERE A FACTOR IN THIS INCIDENT AND NO CRIMINAL CHARGES WERE FILED IN THIS MATTER.
  
  ON THURSDAY MARCH 18, 2021, NC WILDLIFE OFFICER WAS MADE AWARE THAT OPERATOR WAS INVOLVED IN A VEHICLE ACCIDENT A WEEK EARLIER.  IT IS BELIEVED THAT OPERATOR HAD AN, “ANACHRONISM BLEEDING IN THE BRAIN,” THAT WAS CAUSED BY THE VEHICLE ACCIDENT. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A FACTOR IN OPERATOR'S DISTRESS WHICH RESULTED IN OVERTURNING THE KAYAK.
  
  WITNESSES:     WITNESS 1                  WITNESS 2
                                                     
  
  *************************************END OF REPORT*********************