RedactedNarrative: On 3/31/2019, Sgt. received a call about a sunken vessel in Brunswick River near Bird Island. Sgt. spoke with the owner and gathered all the initial information. Sgt. turned that information over to me, Cpl., to do the report and follow up with Operator. I attempted several times to contact Operator the following week and spoke to him briefly on 4/10/2019 when he told me he was going to try and retrieve the boat on Saturday, 4/13/2019. 
  	We were finally able to discuss the incident in detail on 4/13/2019. Operator stated that he had been working on the boat and had replaced several items totaling almost $7,000.00 in the boat. He was trying it out that day. He had his wife and two children, ages 5 and 14 with him. He started having engine trouble with one of the engines. While drifting and working on the engine he ended up on a sandbar near Bird Island. He got his buddy who was also on the water, to come try to pull him off the sandbar. Operator said when he was being pulled from behind, the water rushed over the low stern and into the boat. They rehooked and Friend pulled Operator's boat from the bow and Operator thought he could just let the water out at the ramp and his bilge pump was going. As he was being pulled, the water ran toward the stern of the boat and it swamped quickly. Operator and his family jumped into the water and were picked up by Friend. Friend tied a red buoy to the other end of the tow line to mark the spot the boat sank.
  	Operator told me that Seatow wanted $4,000.00 to raise and remove the boat but he didn't have that kind of money. He stated that he had recently filed bankruptcy and couldn't get a loan for the money either. He told me that he had friends that could dive and was going to borrow some air bags but that he was afraid he would tear up the bags and have to pay for them. He talked as though he was just wanting to leave it there and be done with it.
  	I advised Operator that was not an option. I told him that would be considered unlawful dumping and would constitute a separate violation each day it remained there. I told him we could give him a little bit longer to get the boat out but that we recommend no more than 30 days, especially in saltwater, due to the strong currents and tides. I told him it was up to him to figure out a way to remove the boat. I told him to call me when he did and that I would meet him at the ramp to take pictures and document the boat.
  