RedactedNarrative: On the morning of 07/07/2017 OPERATOR and VICTIM were fishing on Kinkaid Lake.  The pair ended up in the first cove to the North just past the entrance to the Johnson Creek no wake zone where OPERATOR got a fish marker buoy line caught in the propeller of the trolling motor.  Physically unable to unwrap the line from the motor OPERATOR said VICTIM came to the front of the boat and knelt down and pulled the line free.  
  
  Once fixed OPERATOR stated VICTIM rose to stand up and all at once appeared to lose his balance and fell backwards out of the boat. This action by VICTIM and the wind gusts pushed the boat and OPERATOR away from VICTIM.  
  
  OPERATOR recalled VICTIM coming up one time gasping for breath and then he went back down under the water never to surface again.  Upon witnessing this OPERATOR tried to operate the boat back to where he had last observed VICTIM to attempt a rescue but he never saw VICTIM again.  OPERATOR then made his way out to the main part of the lake to get some help and call 911since no one else was present back in this cove.  OPERATOR waved down a boat coming down the lake and was able to have one of the occupants call 911 for help with the Jackson County Sheriff''s Office receiving this call at 10:43 AM.  
  
  After making the call OPERATOR and the occupants of this boat went back to where VICTIM was last seen to look again for him.  VICTIM again was not visible and OPERATOR and the other boaters waited at this area for responding units.  A boat unit from the Jackson County Sheriff''s Office and the Illinois Conservation Police arrived in the area VICTIM was last observed  and OPERATOR pointed out approximately where he thought he saw him go down.  At 12:12pm utilizing side scan sonar VICTIM''s body was located at the spot pointed out by OPERATOR.  Once located and observing OPERATOR to be quiet shaken up he was assisted by the other boaters in going to the Mt. Joy Marina where he had launched his boat earlier in the morning.
  
  After VICTIM''s body was located a marker was submerged close to him and divers from the Carbondale and Carterville Fire Departments were summoned.  Diver''s recovered VICTIM''s body at 2:21PM in 11 feet of water.  Before being placed in a body bag I observed that VICTIM was wearing a long sleeve fishing shirt, blue jeans, sun gloves,  tennis shoes, and still had on his wrap around style sunglasses.  VICTIM was transported to an awaiting ambulance by the Jackson County Sheriff''s Office boat to be transported to the Williamson County morgue.  
  
  OPERATOR was interviewed about this incident in the parking lot at the Mt. Joy Marina and with the assistance of his daughter provided a written statement.  After all this was done OPERATOR''s boat was loaded on his trailer with his truck to be taken home by his son.  OPERATOR''s daughter was going to drive him home as he was so upset about what had transpired.
  
  On 07/13/2017 a copy of Jackson County''s Incident Report was received and is attached.
  This report will be preliminary until an autopsy report can be obtained from the Jackson County Coroner''s Office and a conclusion can be determined on VICTIM''s cause of death.
  
  The Jackson County Coroner's Office final autopsy report was obtained.  Victim's cause of death was ashyxiation due to drowning.
  