On Saturday, December 30th, 2023, at approximately 1800 hours, Corporal, Game, and I responded to an unresponsive person call on Lake Blackshear.  Crisp County E911 Communications told us there was an unresponsive male in the lake.  Dispatchers said the male was partially held up out of the water by his son, who was in a boat. I responded to the Camper’s Haven Boat Ramp where Crisp County Emergency Medical Services were staged up.  

Cpl. and GW responded by patrol boat and at approximately 1840 hours, located the 51-year-old unresponsive male near Beaver’s Den in Dooly County.  Victim was unconscious and partially in the water.  Victim was being held on to by his 20-year-old son who was in a red and silver Stratos Fish and Ski boat.  As Cpl and GW1 approached the Stratos boat, Crisp County Sheriff advised Subject1 was autistic and epileptic. Cpl and GW1 placed Victim and Subject1 in their patrol boat and transported both subjects to the Camper’s Haven Boat Ramp in Dooly County. While on the way to the boat ramp GW1 performed CPR on Victim. 

	At approximately 1855 hours Cpl and GW1 arrived at the Camper’s Haven Boat Ramp and turned Victim and Subject1 over to Crisp County EMS where they transported them to Crisp Regional Hospital.  Cpl and GW1 then went back to Victim’s boat and transported it back to the Mega Ramp at Georgia Veteran’s State Park.  Boat was secured on his trailer and towed to the Lake Blackshear Work Section Boat House. 

	At approximately 1942 hours I arrived at Crisp Regional Hospital in Cordele Georgia to speak with Subject1 to gather information about the incident. Subject1 said he and Victim were fishing when Victim stood up to rig his fishing pole when his body went limp, and fell into the water. Subject1 said Victim landed headfirst in the water with his feet over his head and the boat started drifting away. Subject1 used the boat’s trolling motor to get back to Victim, which took approximately 5-10 minutes.  Subject1 said Victim was wearing waders which helped him float until he could get back over to him. When Subject1 got back to Victim, he was able to pull his head and upper body out of the water where he found Victim to be completely unresponsive with his mouth open. Subject1 called Crisp County E911 Communications.

	 At approximately 2130 hours I was back 10-8 from Crisp Regional. 
Dooly County Deputy Coroner said the cause of death was immersion in water and Hypothermia, Other significant conditions: Cardiac Dysrhythmia, Syncope. The manner of the death was ruled accidental.

Lake Blackshear
VIENNA                        