RedactedNarrative: Sunday May 17, 2015 about 3:00pm, Operator and his wife and adult son, launched a used 16 foot, aluminum, V-hull, Starcraft boat (first time using this boat) at Baldwin Lake, intending to go fishing. There was a strong south/southeast wind resulting in waves up to 2.5 foot high on the lake.  Operator stated that after he operated the boat several hundred yards, the motor indicated overheating and died. He was unable to restart it and the wind and waves eventually forced the boat into the north levee which is rip-rapped with quarry rock.
   
  Operator exited the boat leaving his son and wife with the boat, and drove home to retrieve a 9.9 HP motor. He returned (carrying the motor down the levee service road) and affixed the motor onto the transom. He stated that he got two pulls on the start cord before the waves pushed them back to the bank and  rocks pushed the motor up and off the transom. He stated he caught the motor and repeated this several times before finally losing the motor.  After that, he stated he tried to push/maintain the bow into the wind, however at some point in time, the stern was toward the waves and the boat quickly took on water and swamped, eventually overturning. Operator stated they were all out of the boat before it rolled.
   
  Randolph Co. Deputy obtained the victims information for me and I spoke with the three victims briefly in the Baldwin Lake North parking lot. At this time, they stated no one was injured. Shortly afterwards (about 7:40pm) I launched my 20 foot state-issued jonboat on Baldwin Lake. When I reached the North levee, I observed the swamped boat was upside down and almost completely submerged except about 3 feet of the bow. The bow remained out of the water due to an air pocket trapped between the hull and a small deck. New Athens fire department was on-scene and retaining the boat near the bank. Due to the strong wind/waves and heavy drag of the sunken boat, I was forced to operate my state-issued jonboat backwards in order to tow the watercraft in the direction toward the ramp. I towed it (in the upside-down/sunken position in which I found it) approximately 3000 feet diagonally across the lake to the boat ramp where 5-6 members of the fire department assisted me in righting the boat and loading it on Operator''s boat trailer.
   
  A surprising amount of the property remained with the boat although it was upside down, however, some items were lost. The windshield was missing from the boat, (est value $150); likely torn off as it bobbed upside down against the riprapped shore. The 65 HP motor cover (est value $30) was missing; Operator stated he removed it when the motor overheated. Also missing was one "double" boat seat (est value $200) one fishing pole (est value $100) two tackle boxes and fishing tackle (est value $450.) a pocket knife (est value $90.) the 9.9 HP motor (estimated value $250.) torn up cast net (est value $70.) 6 electronic cigarette batteries (est value $90.) aerator (est value $40.)  Total damage/lost equipment estimated value $1470.
   
  I spoke with Operator for a length of time afterwards and several times, we both repeated that it was fortunate no one was injured. At this time, I learned Operator purchased the boat at Muddy Waters Marine on May 9. Operator stated Previous owner assured him the motor was in good condition and had recently replaced the impeller and after working on the motor; Previous owner ran it on the river and had no problems. Followup title investigation revealed previous owner sold the boat for his son who received the boat as a gift about 2 years before from his father-in-law. I spoke with all three subjects via phone. Previous owner also stated he rebuilt the carburetor and put a new impeller in the motor and it ran fine when it was tested on the river.
  
   