Boating incident – Oconee River near the Laurens & Treutlen Co. line

	At approximately 1300 hours on June 17, 2023, I, Corporal with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Critical Incident Reconstruction Team (CIRT), was notified of a fatal boating incident on the Oconee River near the Treutlen and Laurens County lines.  I made phone contact with Game Warden First Class (GWFC), the initial responding officer with DNR.  GWFC stated to me that Subject1, a male juvenile, 12-13 years of age, had been involved in a single vessel boating incident.  He also stated that Cpl.s were en route to assist with securing the scene and Cpl.2 was at Fairview Park Hospital with the family.

	I then contacted Cpl. for an update and he said that he had recently been with the family but had stepped away to provide them with privacy after receiving the death notification by hospital staff.  He stated that he had spoken with Subject’s father briefly upon Operator’s arrival to the hospital.  Operator was the operator of the vessel at the time of the incident.  Cpl. stated that he did not smell an odor of alcoholic beverage upon his person, nor did he observe any signs of impairment or intoxication.  His initial statement to Cpl. was they were traveling approximately 30-35 mph upriver when he struck a sandbar.  The impact threw himself and two other juvenile passengers forward in the vessel and ejected Subject.  The boat came to a stop on top of Subject, trapping him underneath the boat.

	Operator stated to Cpl. that he made phone contact with his brother who responded to the boat landing at Pete’s Dead River on the Oconee River.  Brother obtained assistance from another boater, and his wife who transported him to the scene in vessel.  Subject was loaded onto the vessel and transported back to Pete’s Dead River Boat Landing to awaiting EMS.

	I arrived near Pete’s Dead River Boat Landing at approximately 1715 hours, at which time I met with GWFC, Cpl., and Cpl..  Upon arrival, GWFC and Cpl. updated me with additional information that had been gathered.  Operator was operating the vessel at the time of the incident.  The vessel was occupied by Subject, the victim, and Operator’s 16-year-old son, and a 12-year-old nephew of Operator.  They had been checking catfish lines and were traveling to another location at the time of the incident.  Subject was seated on the front deck, son and nephew were sitting behind Subject, and Operator was behind the operator’s console.

	At approximately 1750 hours, I arrived at the scene of the incident.  Cpl. had remained on scene to secure the area.  Upon arrival, I observed a camouflage painted G3 model 1860 center console aluminum boat, powered by a Yamaha 90 HP motor, grounded on the sandbar.  The boat was a tunnel hull with a jack plate mounted on the transom.  The vessel was completely grounded out of the water and situated almost perpendicular to the river, with the stern of the boat closest to the waterline.  There was a blue Igloo cooler that was partially crushed underneath the lower unit of the outboard motor.  On the outside of the starboard side of the vessel, between the console and stern, I observed an area that appeared to have been recently excavated and extended  a short distance underneath the vessel.  Inside the vessel, I observed bush hooks, personal floatation devices (pfd’s), shoes, and various aluminum drink cans strewn about.  The ignition switch was in the off position and throttle lever was in the neutral position.  A Lowrance chart plotter was mounted on the top

Oconee River
DUBLIN                        