RedactedNarrative: On May 24th, 2015 at approximately 2:58 AM I (Officer First Class) and Officer First Class responded to Chesapeake beach in reference to a vessel in distress. The information was relayed from Coast Guard Baltimore sector through DNR Communications.  An eighteen foot bass boat was taking on water in the Chesapeake Bay off of Chesapeake Beach in Calvert County.  Coordinates of 38.4205 degrees North and -76.2908 degrees West were obtained by Coast Guard from the cell phone ping.  Coast Guard Annapolis sector, and Chesapeake Beach Fire and Rescue responded as well.  While en route an update was given that the vessel was submerged and five occupants were in the water. A few minutes later another update was given, a good Samaritan vessel recovered all five occupants from the water, one was unresponsive, and Chesapeake Beach Fire and Rescue were on scene and bringing the victims to the Rod and Reel for further medical services.
  
  Sgt. arrived to the Rod and Reel at  approximately 3:31 AM and OFC. and I arrived at approximately 3:41 AM.  The unresponsive victim was identified. EMS had Victim in an ambulance and were attempting to revive him.  At approximately  3:52 AM EMS pronounced Victim deceased and his body was transported by Calvert rescue 18 to Calvert Memorial Hospital.  The remaining four victims were identified. They were escorted to Calvert Memorial Hospital.
  
  From the victim statement given by Occupant1 (see attachments), and interviews of the good Samaritan vessel as well as responding Fire and rescue members the following was ascertained. The five men launched an eighteen foot bass boat from the boat ramp at the Rod and Reel at approximately 2:00 AM. Victim was operating the vessel on the Chesapeake Bay when he noticed that it was taking on water.  Victim turned the vessel around and attempted to return to the ramp.  The vessel was taking on too much water and was unable to make it to shore.  Occupant1 called 911 for assistance and fired off three flares. The vessel sank to the point that all five occupants  were in the water.  A good Samaritan vessel, occupied by three individuals (see list below), saw the flares and was able to locate the vessel.  When they arrived one occupant was hanging onto the bow of the vessel that was sticking vertically out of the water with no life jacket on, one occupant was treading water with a life jacket nearby, another occupant, Victim, was seen floating face down in the water with no life jacket on, and two occupants were wearing life jackets and floating.  All five occupants were removed from the water and CPR was started on Victim while they waited for Emergency services to arrive.  Chesapeake Beach Fire and Rescued arrived, transferred all victims to their vessels and returned to the Rod and Reel.
  
  The vessel, later identified as an eighteen foot Bayliner, was removed by commercial assistance and transported by NRP to Matapeake. The investigation is on going and has been transferred to Corporal with S.O.D.  All events occurred in Calvert County...
   
  
      Victim was not wearing a personal flotation device at the time of his death and it is unknown, how many wearable PFD's were on board at the time of the accident.  There is an unconfirmed statement from hospital staff that Victim may have given his PFD to one of his son's who were also on board.
  
      The boat was later relocated floating vertically in the water with only about 6' of the bow exposed above water.  The boat was recovered and brought to shore with assistance from a commercial towboat/salvage company, where it was examined and stored as evidence pursuant to agency policy and procedure.  The boat is registered to Occupant1.
  
       Occupant1 advised that Victim had gotten the boat from a friend and that he assisted him with getting the title and getting the boat registered.  Victim was not a Boater Education graduate and it is unclear how much boating knowledge and experience he had.  
  
      There were a number of