RedactedNarrative: On the listed date and time, Game Wardens received a call from Dispatch in reference to a subject in the water near a boat that was adrift. The caller stated that the subject in the water was in distress. Game Wardens responded to the listed incident location along with Columbia County Sheriffs Office and Columbia County Fire/Dive Teams. Upon arrival, Game Wardens found the listed vessel occupant who was in distress was onshore. The listed vessel was being driven to shore by Columbia County Fire personnel. 
  
  Game Wardens noticed an alcoholic beverage in the driver side cup holder of the vessel and an open bottle of Crown Royal behind the divers seat rear passenger compartment.  Game Wardens attempted to interview the occupant but were unsuccessful. The occupant was distraught and refused to give information at that time. Game Wardens noticed a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from her person. 
  
  Game Wardens spoke with the listed witnesses at the scene. Witness #1 stated that he was in the parking area of the listed location and heard a person yelling for help. He stated that he saw the vessel occupant in the water with no one else around. The witness then took an inner tube and swam to the vessel occupant and brought her to shore. Other listed witnesses on scene had similar accounts.  
  
  Game Wardens along with Columbia County Sheriffs Office and Columbia County Fire/Dive Teams searched the area for the operator/owner of the listed vessel. Surface, shoreline, divers and sonar searches were used. 
  
  During the searches, a Columbia County Deputy overheard a phone conversation between the vessel occupant and an unknown person. The occupant stated that she and the operator were at the listed location when the prop of the listed vessel got tangled in a rope stalling the motor. She jumped in the water and untangled the prop. 
  
  She further stated that the operator/owner of the vessel entered the water for reason(s) unknown and never resurfaced. The occupant became more distraught and belligerent. She was taken from the scene by ambulance to Doctors Hospital for a mental/physical evaluation. Game Wardens found that a buoy line marking the boats keep out area was cut and entangled. This line usually stretches across the cove. The buoy line appeared to have been cut by a prop. 
  
  Game Wardens and other rescue personnel continued to search the area. On 052221 at approximately 0939 hrs the body of the listed operator/owner was recovered unresponsive by Columbia County Divers in approximately 34' foot of water approximately 200 yards from shore. The Columbia County Coroner was requested. Coroner responded to the scene and pronounced the owner/operator deceased at 1056 hrs. He was positively identified at the scene.  The body was turned over to the Coroner for processing (see Coroner Case # 21-009430).  
  
  Game Warden investigation found that the listed vessel was traveling in a boats keep out area when his prop became entangled in the buoy line causing the vessel to stall. The operator entered the water for reason(s) unknown and never resurfaced. A contributing factor to the incident was that the operator failed to obey a regulatory marker (boats keep out).
  