RedactedNarrative: ON JULY 16, 2021, AT APPROXIMATELY 1330, I SENIOR OFFICER, WAS NOTIFIED BY MITCHELL COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONAL OF A BOATING INCIDENT RESULTING IN A FATALITY.  THE INCIDENT TOOK PLACE ALONG THE NOLICHUCKY RIVER.  ONCE I WAS AWARE OF THE INCIDENT, I NOTIFIED RALEIGH DISPATCH OF THE SITUATION AND ADVISED THEM THAT I WAS IN-ROUTE TO THE POPLAR BOATING ACCESS AREA LOCATED IN MITCHELL COUNTY. 
  
  I ARRIVED ON SCENE AT APPROXIMATELY 1628. UPON MY ARRIVAL, MITCHELL COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ALONG WITH BRADSHAW FIRE AND RESCUE PERSONNEL WERE IN THE PROCESS OF RETRIEVING THE VICTIM FROM A SECTION OF THE RIVER CALLED THE “QUARTER MILE RAPID”.  ONCE THE VICTIM WAS TRANSPORTED BACK TO THE POPLAR ACCESS AREA, HE WAS IDENTIFIED AS PASSENGER. AFTER SPEAKING WITH A WITNESS/OPERATOR ABOUT THE SEQUENCE OF EVENTS, HE INFORMED ME THAT THE KAYAK THAT BOTH HE AND PASSENGER WAS IN CAPSIZED WHILE NAVIGATING THE QUARTER MILE RAPID SECTION OF THE NOLICHUCKY RIVER.  THE WITNESS STATED THAT HE TRIED TO PUSH PASSENGER INTO AN EDDY WHILE HE RETRIEVED THE GEAR THAT WAS FLOATING IN THE RIVER.  WHILE RETRIEVING THE GEAR, THE WITNESS LOOKED BACK AND NOTICED THAT PASSENGER WAS GONE.  PASSENGER WAS CAUGHT IN THE RECIRCULATING WAVE AND WAS UNABLE TO BREAK FREE OF THE RIVER'S CURRENT.  THE WITNESS STATED THAT HE LOST SIGHT OF PASSENGER FOR SEVERAL MINUTES.  PASSENGER FINALLY RESURFACED SEVERAL HUNDRED YARDS DOWN RIVER FLOATING FACE DOWN.  ONCE THE WITNESS WAS ABLE TO REESTABLISH CONTACT WITH PASSENGER, CPR WAS PERFORMED FOR APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES.  AFTER CPR ATTEMPTS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL, THE WITNESS LEFT PASSENGER TO TRY AND CONTACT EMERGENCY PERSONNEL.  WHILE TRYING TO FIND SERVICE WITH HIS CELL PHONE, THE WITNESS ENCOUNTERED A TOUR OF WHITEWATER RAFTERS BEING GUIDED BY USA RAFTS PERSONNEL.  TWO OF THE TOUR GUIDES ASSISTED THE WITNESS WITH CONTACTING EMERGENCY PERSONNEL AND STAYED WITH THE WITNESS AND VICTIM UNTIL MITCHELL COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL ARRIVED ON SCENE.
  
  PASSENGER WAS PRONOUNCED DECEASED BY MITCHELL COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL AT APPROXIMATELY 1649.  HE WAS THEN TRANSPORTED BY EMS TO A LOCAL FUNERAL HOME WHERE THE MITCHELL COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER COMPLETED THEIR INVESTIGATION.
  
  
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