RedactedNarrative: On 09/10/20 at approximately 1300 hours, a fatal boating incident occurred in stanly county on badin lake approximately 1000 feet north of badin lake boat access. Badin lake boat access is located at the southern most point of badin lake and off of hwy 740 in badin, north carolina. The only vessel involved in this incident, was a 18-foot 6-inch, 1989 starcraft gambler bass boat with a 150hp evinrude outboard motor. The vessel was owned by operator. Operator fell overboard while fishing and drowned due to water entering his tracheal tube.
  
   operator and occupant1 had been fishing on the east bank of badin lake just north of badin lake boat access when operator fell into the water. operator was standing at the bow of his vessel as he was fishing. He tripped at the bow of the boat, which caused him to fall off the starboard side of the vessel. Operator had a tracheal tube due to a past medical condition, and as he fell into the water, he was unable to keep his tracheal tube above the surface of the water. This caused him to drown while he was floating on top of the water. Operator was wearing a type iii inflatable us coast guard approved personal floatation device (pfd) at the time of the incident. The pfd that operator was wearing deployed when he fell into the water and worked properly.
  
  The other occupant of the vessel, occupant1, was fishing at the stern of the vessel at the time of the incident. He attempted to help operator back into the vessel but was unsuccessful. After occupant1 realized he was not going to be able to pull operator back inside the vessel, occupant1 moved to the driver''s seat of the vessel and operated the boat towards the east shore of the lake. Occupant1 held on to operator at the starboard side of the vessel while trying to drive the boat to shore. Operator was unresponsive by the time they got to shore. Another vessel with two persons on board arrived at the shore to provide assistance to occupant1. The three of them struggled to pull operator onto the bank. As they were attempting to pull operator on shore, they called 911. Ems arrived on scene at 1318hrs and then moved operator higher up on the shore. Ems was unable to resuscitate operator and the time of death was marked at 1321hrs. Water temperature was 79 degrees, with an air temperature of 85 degrees. 
   
  North carolina wildlife law enforcement officers were called to the scene on 09/10/20 at approximately 1332 hours and arrived on scene by boat at approximately 1410 hours. The vessel was found at the scene of the incident which was approximately 1000 feet north of badin lake boat access. It was pulled up on the bank near where operator was laying. The vessel was operated by occupant1 back to badin lake boat access for further investigation by north carolina wildlife law enforcement officers. The vessel was left untouched by the first responders on scene. All required safety equipment was located on operator''s vessel. It appears that this incident was a result of operator tripping on the bow of his boat and falling into the lake. It is unsure what operator tripped on to cause him to fall overboard. According to the stanly county medical examiner, the cause of death was drowning. Both occupants were wearing a pfd. Alcohol or drugs were not a factor, and no one was charged as a result of this incident.
  