RedactedNarrative: SYNOPSIS:
  
  On 8/23/16 I was called out to investigate a fatal boat accident. I responded to the Hall's Crossing Marina where the involved parties and vessels were located. During the course of the investigation I learned that a two year old boy had fallen off the top of a houseboat while it was underway between channel marker buoys 91 and 92. The child's mother had jumped in and swam to him to rescue him and in her efforts to save him she had perished, presumably from drowning. The deceased brother had retrieved both her and the child in a ski typed vessel and driven them into the Hall's Crossing Marina for assistance. Good Samaritan's had preformed CPR until NPS Rangers arrived on scene.
  
  INITIAL CALL:
  
  At approximately 1535 hours on 8/23/16 I was called at home by NPS dispatch and informed they had a deceased person, likely from drowning, at the Hall's Crossing Marina as well as a two year old boy who was stable but had also nearly drowned. They asked if I would be responding and I asked if the fatality had occurred due to circumstances that may involve a boat accident.  NPS dispatch was unsure as to the circumstances so I asked them to find out and call me back. I was then contacted by NPS District Ranger, whom was on scene, and informed of the basic details of the incident. I informed her that it was a boat accident and I would be responding to investigate the accident. Ranger  told me the two year old boy and another adult from the party would be flying via Guardian Air Medical to Flagstaff for further treatment on the child. I asked her to get the personal information from the two involved parties before they left.
  
  RESPONSE:
  
  I responded from my residence to the government docks at Bullfrog and then in my patrol vessel from Bullfrog to Hall's Crossing Marina. As I arrived at the Hall's Crossing Marina I observed NPS Ranger  carrying a male child down the marina walkway toward the Guardian helicopter. The helicopter departed the scene shortly afterward.
  
  INVESTIGATION:
  
  At the Hall's Marina I met with NPS Rangers . They informed me the deceased female was located in a nearby green and white ski type vessel tied to the docks in front of the marina store. They informed me that a two year old boy had somehow fallen off a houseboat while it was underway and that the child's mother had also jumped off the same houseboat and swam to the boy to rescue him. They stated the mother had apparently drowned while saving her child. I asked where the houseboat was and NPS Ranger  offered to show me which slip it was docked in.
  
  Ranger  pointed out the houseboat and a male individual who was walking towards us. Ranger  informed me this male was the brother of the deceased female. I introduced myself and informed him I would be conducting the boat accident investigation and report. I asked him to recall the events of the incident for me.  OPERATOR stated that there were 6 people on the houseboat at the time, three adults including his sister (Deceased victim), his mother and himself, as well as three children including the boy who had fallen off the houseboat (Injured victim).  OPERATOR stated they were between channel marker buoys 91 and 92 heading upstream in route back to the Hall's Marina to conclude their trip (they arrived on 8/18/16 and were planning to depart the area on 8/24/16). He stated the kids were upstairs on the top deck of the houseboat and he had heard a splash. He stated his sister VICTIM had apparently seen that the splash had been Injured victim falling into the water and that she immediately jumped off the houseboat and began swimming to him while he stopped the houseboat.
  
  OPERATOR stated that after he had stopped the houseboat he had run to the back of the houseboat and observed deceased VICTIM swimming to Injured victim. He stated the houseboat was approximately 50-100 yards away at this time. OPERATOR then jumped into the lake and began swimming toward them. At some point in his swim he decided to swim back to his ski type vessel which had been being towed behind the houseboat. He stated he started this vessel and his mother had cut the tow rope that was attached to it. He stated he then drove the boat to his sister's location. He stated his sister was underwater holding Injured victim up out of the water. He pulled Injured victim and then Deceased victim onto the ski type vessel. He stated that he noticed that Injured victim was breathing and seemed okay but that his sister was not breathing. OPERATOR then drove directly to the Hall's Crossing Marina to get help, leaving his mother and two children on the houseboat, and calling for help on his marine radio. He stated when he arrived at the marina docks he was yelling for help. He stated that people got on his boat and started CPR on his sister. OPERATOR confirmed me that Injured victim had not been wearing a PFD when he had fallen off the houseboat. OPERATOR completed a witness statement. (attached).
  
  I obtained the vessel registration information from both the houseboat and the ski type vessel. I took photo's of both vessels, including several photo's of the top deck of the houseboat and it's railing (attached). The railing around the top deck is approximately 18-20 inches tall. From the design of the vessel's top deck I believe Injured victim most likely fell from one of the sides of the vessel into the water. If he had fallen over the front or back railing he would have landed on the front or rear patio covers for the lower level and it would be unlikely he would have fallen into the water.
  
  I then met with Ranger and witnessed her writing down subject3’s statement as SUBJECT3 orally dictated her account of the incident (attached). SUBJECT3 stated she had been on the lower deck out front, just about to climb up to the upper deck to check on the kids when she heard a scream. She stated that Deceased victim dove into the water after Injured victim and that she had tried to untie the rope to the ski boat for OPERATOR but couldn't so she cut it.
  
  Ranger provided me with the copies of witness statements from OPERATOR, SUBJECT3 and from two good Samaritan's who had performed CPR on VICTIM. I met with the San Juan County Sheriff Deputy who arrived to complete the death investigation. I gave him my contact information and told him I would be completing a boat accident report for the incident. I spoke with NPS Ranger and Medic about the condition of Injured victim. He stated that Injured victim was very responsive and aware during his treatment of him. Ranger did not believe that Injured victim had any significant oxygen deprivation from being in the water.
  
  CONCLUSION:
  
  After interviewing OPERATOR and reviewing witness statements I have come to the following conclusions:
  
  At some time between 1400 hours and 1430 hours the party was traveling upstream on Vessel 1 between buoy 91 and 92. The three adults on board were all on the lower deck and the three children on board were on the upper deck. Injured victim fell over the railing on the upper deck on either the port or starboard side. Injured victim was not wearing a PFD. The adults heard the splash from Injured victim falling overboard and Deceased victim immediately identified that it had been Injured victim and dove off of the houseboat and swam toward him to rescue him. The houseboat was underway at the time towing Vessel 2. The top speed of Vessel 1 is likely just under 10 mph So the speed at the time of the accident was likely between 5-10 mph. 
  
  When Deceased victim dove into the water, Operator shifted the houseboat into neutral and went to the back of the houseboat where he observed Deceased victim swimming to Injured victim. Operator then dove in to assist and after swimming a short distance wisely decided