On September 12, 2023 I, Cpl. of the Maryland Natural Resources Police Criminal Investigations Section, was contacted by SOD Duty Officer Lt. and told to respond to the area of Mattawoman Creek in Charles County, MD. Lt. informed me he would be requesting Cpl. to respond as well and that Sgt. would be on scene acting as the Search Manager.

According to initial reports at approximately 1030 hours NRP Field Units were dispatched to the area in reference to an individual who had entered the waters of Mattawoman Creek after his son and had not resurfaced.  The son had managed to make it to shore, walked to the first home he found, and used the Good Samaritan's phone to contact 911.  Charles County 911 Dispatch Center then reached out to MD NRP and Victim’s mother. 

While en route to the command post at Smallwood State Park in Charles County, MD I contacted Lt.1 to gather additional information.  Lt.1 was standing by with Victim’ family and had gathered an initial statement from son.  According to Son, he and his father had gone fishing in their inflatable boat, an Intex Seahawk 4 fitted with a Minn-Kota trolling motor, and at some point he had fallen in.  

Victim followed his son into the water and instructed him to swim to shore.  Neither individual was wearing a life jacket and there were no life jackets on the vessel.  The vessel was located on Mattawoman Creek at coordinates 38.57974 N 77.16729 W and was secured by Nanjemoy Fire and Rescue.  At 1330 hours I received a phone call from Lt.1 confirming that the vessel and any personal effects found on it could be returned to the family.  NRP Field Units seized the vessel, brought it into the dock at Smallwood State Park, inventoried, and photographed it while I was still en route to scene. 

I arrived at scene at approximately 1530 hours and met with Lt.1, Cpl., and the designated family point of contact.  Cpl. had specific questions for son about where he went into the water to help narrow down the search area and at approximately 1550 hours we were able to speak with him.  Son told Cpl. that he remembered falling into clear water, swam on his back into the grass, and floated to shore.  He remembered seeing his dad go into clear water near the boat but did not see him swim to shore with him.  The Mattawoman Creek has large amounts of sea grass and Hydrilla and the NRP Dive Team was attempting to learn if Victim ever made it to the grassy areas after entering the water.  We asked Victim multiple questions about entering the water and his swimming and he consistently responded that he wanted to get in the water and show us.  Instead, we asked if he could get into the boat and show us how he and his father were sitting in the boat.  Victim went to the vessel, set up two fold-able, nylon, camping chairs and sat in the one located in the front of the boat.  He stated that his father was sitting in the chair behind him and that his father had just made the “carpet” of Astro Turf for the bottom of the boat the night before. 

After speaking to son I met with mother in order to gather information from her.  She informed me that she and Victim had been together for 21 years but were not legally married.  Mother stated that the family had been fishing the North Shore of Mattawoman Creek for 12 years, but they usually fished from the shoreline.  Victim had purchased the inflatable boat on Saturday, September 9th and this fishing trip was the first time Victim was using it.  She stated they had not owned a boat previously, but that they rented boats in Solomon’s Island and Victim had experience operating those vessels. 

Victim was off on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.  It was his routine to go crabbing and fishing both of these days, and often he would pull Victim out of school for at least one of the days in order to spend time with him.  According to Mother on the morning of the 12th Victim and Victim left the house around 0645 hours which is the normal time they leave.  She was unsure if either individual ate anything before they left the house. At approximately 0800 hours she called Victim, and they spoke for 16 seconds.  He told her that had not launched the boat yet, but they would be in the water soon, and he would call her once they were.  Victim did not call Mother again after that. 

Mother did not believe that Victim had packed any food or drinks on the boat and knew for a fact that there were no life jackets on the boat.  She stated that they were supposed to buy life jackets that day.  According to Mother, Victim did not have any known health issues, was not taking any medications, had not suffered any recent injuries, and would not have been under the influence of alcohol or drugs.  She believed Victim could swim but was certain that son could not and kept repeating that she was “shocked” that her son made it to shore but not Victim. 

She stated that Charles County Sheriff's Office called her multiple times while she was at work that day and at 1035 hours she picked up the phone.  She believed that they would be calling her about her Grandmother but once they explained what had happened she immediately left work and made it to the scene at approximately 1050 hours.  According to Mother, Victim had been acting normally and there had been no sudden changes in his mood or routine. 

The search for Victim continued until approximately 2215 hours and multiple assets were called in by Sgt. Davis. These assets included: Charles County Fire and Dive, Charles County Sheriff’s Office K9 units, United States Coast Guard Marine and Aviation Units, Maryland State Police Aviation, Indian Head Naval Support, Search and Rescue Dogs of Maryland, Charles County Sheriff’s Office Marine Units, Maryland NRP Dive Team, Maryland NRP UAS Team, as well as continual surface searches by NRP field units.  Before search efforts were suspended for the night the family was made aware that units would be returning to Smallwood State Park at 0800 hours on the 13th to resume searching. 

On September 13, 2023 I arrived at scene at approximately 0900 hours and met with Mother.  She informed me that once they got home the night before, son began speaking more about what happened that day and told her that he had been reeling his fishing rod in when it caught on something and jerked him into the water.  He remembered going into the water and his dad coming in after him and telling him to swim to shore for help.  Victim thought he saw his father go in the opposite direction from him but was not sure. 

At approximately 1020 hours we received word from the NRP Dive Team that Charles County Dive Team had a target that they were going to dive on.  At approximately 1056 hours we were informed that Charles County Dive Team had made recovery and were in the process of transferring Victim out of the water and into NRP’s vessel.  Per the request of Victim’ mother and Mother, Sgt.  and I informed the family point of contact of Victim’ recovery and requested that he assist with relocating all the family on scene away from the dock and keeping them there. 

At approximately 1125 hours NRP Dive Team returned to the floating dock at Smallwood State Park.  They informed us that Victim had been recovered at coordinates 38.57967, -77.16657.  The water depth in that area was approximately 6 feet with a temperature of 82 degrees. 



Potomac R-Cobb Island-North Ma
Indian Head                   