RedactedNarrative: ON JUNE 25, 2021, AT APPROXIMATELY 20:30, A BOATING INCIDENT OCCURRED ON LAKE NORMAN. IT HAPPENED ON DAVIDSON CREEK NEAR THE D3 MARKER.  THE BOAT WAS A RENTED 24-FOOT HARRIS PONTOON, WITH A 3.0-LITER INBOARD OUTBOARD MOTOR. THE VESSEL WAS BEING OPERATED BY OPERATOR. THE OPERATOR WAS ACCOMPANIED BY 10 PASSENGERS.  TWO OF THE PASSENGERS WERE BEING TOWED ON A TUBE. ONE OF THE PASSENGERS THAT WAS TUBING AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT WAS VICTIM. HE JUMPED OFF OF THE TUBE AND BEGAN TO SWIM TOWARD THE BOAT. VICTIM STRUGGLED TO SWIM AND WITHIN A BRIEF TIME WENT UNDERWATER AND DROWNED. 
  
  THE PARTY OF 11 MET, THE OWNER AND LESSOR OF THE PONTOON AT NCWRC BEATTY'S FORD LANDING AROUND 16:00 THAT DAY. MEMBERS OF THE PARTY STATED THAT VICTIM SHOWED UP AT THE LANDING ALREADY DRINKING.  THE PARTY SPENT ITS TIME CRUISING AND TUBING ON THE SOUTH END OF THE LAKE. THE PARTY MADE SEVERAL TRIPS BACK TO BEATTY'S FORD LANDING TO PICK UP MEMBERS OF THE PARTY.  THROUGHOUT THE DAY MEMBERS TOOK TURNS TUBING. ALL MEMBERS THAT TUBED WOULD WEAR A TYPE II PFD, EXCEPT VICTIM. MEMBERS OF THE PARTY TRIED TO CONVINCE VICTIM THROUGHOUT THE DAY TO WEAR ONE. ONLY 3 OF THE 11 MEMBERS COULD SWIM, VICTIM BEING ONE. AT AROUND 20:30 OPERATOR WAS PULLING VICTIM AND PASSENGER 2 ON THE TUBE WHILE RETURNING TO THE LANDING. WITNESSES DESCRIBED IT AS IF HE JUMPED OR LET GO RATHER THAN BEING THROWN FROM THE TUBE. MEMBERS OF THE PARTY PULLED PASSENGER 2 INTO THE BOAT, AS SHE COULD NOT SWIM AND REFUSED TO GET IN THE WATER EVEN THOUGH SHE HAD ON A PFD. THE OPERATOR OF THE VESSEL THEN TURNED THE VESSEL AROUND TO PICK UP VICTIM. VICTIM BEGAN TO SWIM TOWARDS THE PORT SIDE OF THE VESSEL. AS THE VESSEL GOT CLOSE, VICTIM BEGAN TO STRUGGLE TO STAY AFLOAT. MEMBERS OF THE PARTY THREW TWO TYPE II PFD'S AND A TYPE IV PFD TO VICTIM. HE NEVER REACHED FOR THEM AND BEGAN TO SLIP UNDER THE WATER'S CHOP. BOTH OPERATOR AND HIS BROTHER, PASSENGER 1, MADE ATTEMPTS TO JUMP IN TO ASSIST VICTIM. PASSENGER 1 GRABBED HIS ARM BUT VICTIM ALMOST PULLED HIM UNDER. PASSENGER 1 COULD SWIM, BUT HE DOESN'T CONSIDER HIMSELF TO BE A STRONG SWIMMER. BOTH OPERATOR AND PASSENGER 1'S ATTEMPTS TO ASSIST VICTIM WERE FUTILE. MEMBERS OF THE PARTY STATED VICTIM MADE NO VERBAL COMMUNICATION AS HE SLIPPED UNDER THE WATER LEAVING A BUBBLE TRAIL AND WHITE FOAM ON THE SURFACE. THE 911 CALL WAS MADE AT 20:39 AND CORNELIUS PD AND NC WILDLIFE BOATS ARRIVED ON SCENE BY 20:45. A SEARCH FOR VICTIM'S BODY CONTINUED UNTIL HE WAS RECOVERED AT THE SAME LOCATION DESCRIBED, AT 12:52 SUNDAY, JUNE 27,2021
  
  MEMBERS OF THE PARTY STATED THAT VICTIM HAD BEEN DRINKING AND POSSIBLY SMOKED MARIJUANA DURING THE OUTING. VICTIM'S BEHAVIOR  AND THE REFUSAL TO WEAR A PFD ARE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE INCIDENT. OFFICER CHECKED THE VESSEL FOR THE REQUIRED SAFETY EQUIPMENT ALL EQUIPMENT ACCOUNTED FOR EXCEPT THE PFD'S THROWN TO VICTIM. CONTACT WITH THE MEDICAL EXAMINER'S OFFICE CONFIRMED THE CAUSE OF DEATH TO BE DROWNING.