RedactedNarrative: On January 19, 2017 I received an e-mail from Sgt. concerning a possible unreported boating incident on Smith Mountain Lake.  Sgt.1 advised he had gotten word about the incident from the Smith Mountain Lake Marine Fire and Rescue personnel and the incident supposedly happened on the evening of January 14, 2017.  The only other information available was the name and address of the person who called 911 and requested the boat operator to be checked out by emergency medical services.  
  
  On January 21, 2017 I contacted the Bedford County Dispatch Center to see if they had any record of the event.  Dispatcher was able to locate a 911 call for a 69 year old male who fell off his boat and was very cold.  I asked for any patient contact information and he informed me I would have to go through Bedford County EMS.    
  
   I was able to speak with Rescuer1 about the incident.  Rescuer1 is a member of the Huddleston Rescue Squad who responded that evening.  He stated without looking at his notes, he believed the call occurred between 1600-1700 hours.
  
   Rescuer1 reported Victim was transporting his boat to the public boat ramp at the Smith Mountain Lake State Park, where his son was waiting for him.  The pair were going to take the boat out of the water and put it on a trailer.  Rescuer1 stated Victim told him, he was traveling through the islands when his boat became grounded on a shoal.  Victim then raised his motor when the boat began to drift.  Victim then attempted to throw his anchor out when he fell out of the boat.  
  
  Rescuer1 stated Victim managed to get to land and crawled to the residence.   Rescuer1 claimed Victim did not have any physical injuries, but was suffering from mild hypothermia. He also said there was nothing suspicious relating to drugs or alcohol. They transported him to Bedford Memorial Hospital.  
  
  Nurse at hospital was able to find Victim in the computer and told me he arrived at the emergency room at 1920 hours and was admitted to a room at 2130 hours. He was treated overnight and released.  She stated with Hippa laws she wasn’t able to give me any other information without Victim’s permission.  Next, I traveled to the Bedford County Dispatch Center in order to receive a hard copy of the CAD report. 
  
    I traveled to victim’s house and began to examine the boat and noted several fresh scuffs and abrasions on the three-leaf propeller which would be similar to what could be expected with a grounding incident.  I documented the damage by photograph.  I did not observe any additional damage. 
  
   I spoke with subject who called 911.  Her lakefront property is also located adjacent to the islands near the entrance to Craddock Creek.  The area around the islands is very shallow and is marked appropriately with shoal markers.  It is possible for boaters to travel between the two islands if they are cautious and operate between the two shoal markers.  
  
  I asked Caller to describe the events that occurred that evening and she stated she did not know the gentleman involved or have any contact information for him.  I asked her what time everything happened and she believed it was around 1645 hours. Caller stated she first noticed Victim when he staggered up to her front porch.  His clothes were completely soaked and he was obviously wet and cold.  She stated Victim was wearing a heavy winter coat, a flannel shirt, and an undershirt.  She also said he only had socks on, no shoes.    Caller brought Victim inside her home in an effort to warm up and called 911.  Caller stated she thought Victim may have jumped into the water in order to push the boat off of the shoal.  She said EMS personnel transported Victim to the hospital and neighbors tied his boat up to her dock.  Victim’s son returned to Caller’s residence on Monday to pick the boat up, but the battery was dead.  She stated he had to get a new battery and was able to take the boat away.  She said she felt if she hadn’t been home that evening, Victim may have died of hypothermia.  On January 22, 2017 I was able to speak with Victim and his wife by telephone. 
  
  Victim’s wife initially stated she knew who I was and why I was trying to contact them, but wanted me to know that Victim had suffered from 1, possibly 2 strokes, recently.  She stated after the boating incident, they returned home to their primary residence.  She said her husband had been in and out of the hospital for the health issues all week.     
  
  Victim got on the telephone and we began discussing the incident.  He stated he was the operator of the boat and there were no other passengers.  He said he was traveling towards the islands and he is aware there are normally two shoal marker buoys.  He said he began to get confused for some reason when his prop hit the bottom.  Victim stated he looked around and only saw 1 buoy in the water.  He realized he had traveled between the island and the shoreline, not between the two islands.  He raised his motor and turned off the engine.  He then attempted to throw his anchor out in order to keep the boat from drifting.  He said he did this 3 times before the Danforth anchor caught and held the boat.  On the third attempt, he slipped and fell over the side of the boat.  
  
  Victim was able to walk through the water, but stated he lost his boots.  He said he can remember having to roll and crawl to Caller’s door. Caller took him in and called 911. He was admitted to Bedford Memorial and released on Sunday, January 15, 2017.     
  
  Victim claimed he was treated for a stroke during his hospital visit, and believes that was possibly a factor to the incident.  He visited his local hospital in Virginia Beach who confirmed the diagnosis.    I asked Victim if the boat I had seen earlier in his driveway, at the lake house, was the boat involved in the incident.  He admitted it was.  I explained the boat incident requirements and the information I would need. I asked Victim about any damage he had seen on the boat, and he described the same prop damage I had documented earlier. He stated he believed the total damage would be around $40.00.   Victim stated he had taken a Boat US boater education course online and his student ID number.  I asked about the safety equipment and Victim stated everything was on the boat under the seat cushions. He admitted he was not wearing a life preserver when the incident occurred but did have some available on the boat.  I asked if he would mind if I returned to the residence