RedactedNarrative: On saturday, may 21, 2016, i received a phone call from deputy with essex sheriff's office. Deputy told me there was a boat incident near garrett's marina on the rappahannock river. I responded to garrett's marina in essex county. After arriving on scene the manager of garrett's marina brought the victims to shore. The manager had gone out in a privately owned boat and removed the victims from the water. 
  
  I spoke with the operator and part owner of the boat. Operator told me they were participating in the croaker tournament at garrett's marina. He told me they went  approximately  half of a mile from shore to fish in the rappahannock river. While fishing operator noticed water started to build up near the stern of the boat. Operator had the plug in the boat and the boat was anchored from a starboard bow cleat. Operator told me the bilge pump light was on at the console. He told me he checked the bilge pump and discovered the pump was not working. 
  
  He tried to start the boat motor to return to shore, but the motor would not start. Operator and his two passengers put their life jackets on while the boat continued to take on water. Operator told me within a minute or two the boat began to sink. Operator told me as the boat began to sink the boat rolled to the port side. Operator and his passengers exited the boat into the water from the starboard side. After the boat sunk the bow of the boat stayed close to the water surface. 
  
  Operator told me they were in the water for approximately thirty minutes before the manager of garrett's arrived on scene. When operator and his passengers returned to the marina they denied medical help from essex county rescue squad. 
  
  While speaking with operator i discovered the boat was registered to his brother. Operator told me that he helped his brother purchase the boat. They purchased the boat for approximately two thousand dollars. They spent another two or three thousand dollars on repairs. The boat is a sixteen foot  1990 sport craft. The hull identification number is scr01003h990. The registration number is va 5368 zz. The registration expires on 05/31/2016. On saturday, may 21, 2016, essex county received heavy weather. 
  
  Sgt. told me during our conversation that he had received approximately four inches of rain that morning. I believe the weather and bilge pump failure greatly contributed to operator's boat sinking that morning. After operator recovered the boat from the river he estimated the damage to be around two thousand to twenty five hundred dollars.