RedactedNarrative: The following is my findings of a fatal canoe incident that occurred on August 14, 2016 at approximately 16:00 on the New River in Pulaski County. Victim and his wife placed their canoe in the water at the Little River Damn at approximately 11:30am. They decided to take full day float trip down the river. During the float they took two rest breaks to rest, eat lunch, and snacks. As the couple approached the last set of falls just above the Pepper's Ferry Bridge the canoe bumped a rock and water entered the canoe. The canoe then hit another rock and more water entered the canoe. When the canoe bumped the third rock the canoe took on water and capsized. 
  
  Both were tossed out of the vessel and into the river. Both were able to surface in the current.  They were facing each other after they surfaced. Victim stated to his wife (oh my cell phone is still in the canoe). At this point Victim appeared to be standing on a rock with the water at about his chest. Wife was treading water and attempting to get to shore. She stated she was choking on water while she was swimming. Victim then attempted to exit the river by walking towards the Montgomery side of the river. At this point Wife stated that Victim opened his mouth and took a breath and then all of a sudden disappeared under the water. He never resurfaced. Wife stated he was holding a paddle when he went under the water. 
  
  Wife was swimming and being pulled downstream by the current. She was yelling for help when an unknown swimmer swam out to her and handed her one of the wood's life jacket and pulled her into shore. She told witnesses that her husband was still in the water and she hasn't seen him since he went under. Fire and EMS were called. I interviewed witnesses and all told the same events that Wife described. When I interviewed the diver that found Victim he stated that the body had the exact posture that drowning victims have when they are under water. The body was located at approximately 7:03pm in 26ft of water. Life Jackets were in the canoe at the time of the incident; however, neither were wearing them. The body was sent to the medical examiner's office for an autopsy.  
  
  