RedactedNarrative: ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2016 AT, OR ABOUT 2112 HOURS, PUTNAM COUNTY SHERIFF'S DISPATCH RECEIVED A 911 CALL IN REFERENCE TO A KAYAKER THAT HAD FLIPPED HIS KAYAK AND NOT BEEN HEARD FROM FOR OVER 30 MINUTES.  PUTNAM COUNTY CONTACTED ICO DISPATCH FOR ASSISTANCE.  LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FIRE PERSONNEL ARRIVED AT APPROXIMATELY 2138 HOURS.  THE CALLER, IDENTIFIED AS WITNESS#1 TOLD FIRST RESPONDERS THAT HE AND VICTIM#1, THE MISSING PERSON, HAD BEEN KAYAKING ON THE BIG WALNUT CREEK WHEN THEY FLIPPED THEIR KAYAKS.  WITNESS#1 STATED THAT HE WAS ABLE TO GET HIS KAYAK TO SHORE AND FLIPPED BACK OVER.  WHILE WITNESS#1 WAS EMPTYING THE WATER FROM HIS KAYAK HE COULD HEAR VICTIM#1 YELLING, BUT COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT HE WAS SAYING.  WITNESS#1 STATED THAT HE WAS ABLE TO GET BACK IN HIS KAYAK AND CONTINUE DOWN THE CREEK TO THEIR PLANNED TAKE OUT LOCATION, BUT NEVER LOCATED VICTIM#1.  WITNESS#1 FILLED OUT A VOLUNTARY STATEMENT AND WAS ALSO ABLE TO SHOW RESCUE PERSONNEL WHERE HE HAD LAST SEEN VICTIM#1.  
            INDIANA CONSERVATION OFFICERS, PUTNAM COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, AND LOCAL FIRE AND RESCUE PERSONNEL SEARCHED FOR VICTIM#1 UNTIL APPROXIMATELY 0200 HOURS ON SEPTEMBER 18, 2016, BUT WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE HIM.  INDIANA CONSERVATION OFFICERS RESUMED THE SEARCH LATER THAT MORNING.  VICTIM#1’S KAYAK, DRY BOX, AND FLIP FLOPS WERE LOCATED ALONG THE CREEK, BUT VICTIM#1 REMAINED MISSING.  INDIANA CONSERVATION OFFICERS CONTINUED TO SEARCH THE CREEK THE FOLLOWING THREE DAYS, BUT WERE STILL UNABLE TO LOCATE VICTIM#1.
            ON SEPTEMBER 22, 2016, INDIANA CONSERVATION OFFICER CORPORAL#1 AND I WERE SEARCHING THE CREEK BY KAYAK.  AT APPROXIMATELY 1050 HOURS, CORPORAL#1 LOCATED VICTIM#1’S BODY IN A LOG JAM APPROXIMATELY THREE QUARTERS OF A MILE DOWNSTREAM FROM WHERE HE WAS LAST SEEN.  WE WERE ABLE TO REMOVE THE BODY FROM THE CREEK WITH ASSISTANCE FROM GREENCASTLE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE PUTNAM COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE.  THE BODY WAS THEN TRANSPORTED TO TERRE HAUTE REGIONAL HOSPITAL FOR AN AUTOPSY.  
  AN AUTOPSY WAS PERFORMED ON SEPTEMBER 23, 2016.  THE PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF THE AUTOPSY SHOWED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE DEATH WAS CONSISTENT WITH DROWNING AND THE MANNER OF DEATH WAS RULED AS ACCIDENTAL.
  