RedactedNarrative: On December 5, 2022 Florida Fish and Wildlife officers were notified by Tallahassee Regional Communications Center through the Washington County Sheriff's Office of a missing person incident ongoing in the Sunny Hills Community. Responding units arrived at a public access inland pond near the end of Bel mar Place Road in Sunny Hills. Responding units met with Deputies, relatives of the missing man, and neighbors of the missing man. The statements made by relatives and witnesses indicated that victim had paddled a 12' Kayak out onto the pond in order to fish. 
  
  The Kayak was discovered shortly after daybreak drifting unattended on the pond with safety gear, fishing equipment, a firearm and personal effects still onboard. Patrol boats were launched and personnel began walking the shoreline around the pond looking for indicators of Operator. No indicators of a person walking away from the area were discovered, so the focus became conducting side scan sonar searches and dive team activation. 
  
  12/5/2022 - Operator was discovered deceased on the bottom of the pond by FWC divers and subsequently recovered to a vessel and transported to nearby boat launch landing for release to Medical Examiners transport personnel.
  
  12/6/2022 - Dr. performed an autopsy and initiated a toxicology screen for Operator. Preliminary results were inconclusive regarding the cause of death. Medical Examiners report and toxicology screen are still outstanding. Operator was a type 1 diabetic with several medical maladies. The immersion in water was also inconclusive due to lack of evidence indicating drowning. 
  
  02/21/2023 - The Medical Examiner's report and Toxicology screen are still outstanding, and the investigation remains ongoing as of this date.
  
  OTHER IS USED AS UNKNOWN AS THERE IS NO KNOWN CAUSE AS TO HOW THE OPERATOR WAS SEPARATED FROM THE VESSEL.
  