RedactedNarrative: On June 17, 2021, Operator, 73 years of age, left his residence to go fishing. He left in a 2000, 20 foot 3 inch Basscat, powered by a 225 Mercury Outboard with remote steering.  At approximately 8:45pm he contacted his wife by cellphone and told her that he was having engine problems and that, he was going to use the trolling motor to get home.  At 8:38am on June 18, 2021, a boater, called the Sabine Sheriff’s Office to report a boat in Aimwell cove with no one around, the trolling motor was down, and fishing gear is in the boat. At 8:45am, Sabine Sheriff Office contacted S/A who contacted me (Sgt.).  At 9:07am, another boater located the body of Operator and contacted the Sabine Sheriff Office.  
             Corporal and I arrived on scene on Hwy 1215 at Aimwell Cove at approximately 10:30am. The boat was located northwest of the bridge on the East shoreline. Operator was located south of the bridge but was already transported to Hwy 1215 by Sheriff’s Office Deputies. The body was turned over to the Sabine Coroner’s Office for autopsy. Operator did not have on a PFD. When I inspected Vessel 1 the throttle was in the neutral position, the kill lanyard was on the deck by the driver’s seat and the kill switch was in the off position. The trolling motor was down. When I pulled up the trolling motor, it was still spinning under power in forward gear. I turned the trolling motor off. I was able to return the kill switch to the on position and start vessel 1. I was able to drive vessel 1 halfway until the engine died. I then used the trolling motor rest of the way. The vessel was returned to the family after an inspection. 
           After the investigation, it is unsure how or why Operator fell into the water. According to autopsy report, his BAC was 0.167 g/100 ml.  Alcohol use is a factor for the accident.