On Sunday 11/5/23 at approximately 1412 hours, I was in my patrol vehicle at the Lewes Field Office when Kentcom put out a message about a water rescue in progress in Milton, DE on the Broadkill River. I asked Kentcom if they were still in the water and Kentcom said yes. I advised myself and Sr/Cpl 2 would be enroute. I hooked up to MP November''s trailer and launched it in the Broadkill River at the Lewes public boat ramp. I advised Kentcom at 1425 hours that myself and Sr/Cpl 2 were enroute on MP November towards the incident. Sgt. 3 advised he was enroute via his patrol vehicle. Sgt. 3 got on scene at 1441 hours. He advised us the victim, V1 Operator was now on shore and we could slow down. At 1443 hours, Sgt. 3 advised us MP November was no longer needed. Sgt. 3 began to collect information about the victim, witnesses and the person he was with. 
On 11/8/23 I took the info Sgt. 3 collected and made contact with people involved by phone. The first person I was able to make contact with was PC1. PC1 is the owner of a kayak rental company “Quest Adventures.” V1 Operator was using their kayaks at the time of this incident. PC1 stated he was not on scene when it happened but responded to the scene after he was made aware. PC1 stated he was told V1 Operator and the person he was with W1 (Witness 1) were kayaking on the Broadkill River when V1 Operator fell into the water and seemed unresponsive. PC1 stated another kayaker in the area W2 (Witness 2) helped pull him to shore. I asked PC1 if they were wearing a life jacket and he stated he wasn''t sure but stated the life jacket and paddle were missing. He also stated the kayak rental comes with a life jacket, paddle and back rest. PC1 stated he has stayed in touch with W1 since the incident and heard the doctors believe the incident was the result of a cardiac event. 

I then got in contact with W2. W2 stated V1 Operator and W1 were ahead of him when he heard a splash and then a cry for help. W2 stated he paddled over and helped get V1 Operator out of the water. W2 stated V1 Operator had a glazed look and was very unresponsive when he got to him in the water. W2 stated he believes V1 Operator was in the water for at least 20 minutes and he was in the water for at least 15 minutes after he got knocked in by V1 Operator. W2 stated he didn''t see him wearing a life jacket. Once on land, V1 Operator and W2 were then looked at by EMS. EMS then transported V1 Operator to Beebe hospital. 

I then spoke to V1 Operator. He stated he doesn''t remember much from the incident. V1 Operator stated W2 and himself went out kayaking from Milton Memorial Park for about an hour when all of a sudden, he fell into the water and had to get help getting back to land. When I asked him if he was wearing a life jacket, he stated he was not given a life jacket. He stated they were just given a code to unlock a lock for the kayaks after they paid the rental fee but no one was there when they picked them up. V1 Operator stated when he made it back to sure, he was met by EMS personal and taken by ambulance to Beebe hospital in Lewes. V1 Operator stated the hospital ran some tests on him and believes the incident was due to a cardiac event. 

I then spoke to W1 on Thursday 11/9/23 at 1230 hours. W1 stated she went out kayaking with V1 Operator on the Broadkill River from Milton Memorial Park. W1 stated as they were making their way, she got ahead of V1 Operator by about 100 yds and heard a big splash while she was looking at a Heron. When she turned around to look, she saw V1 Operator had fallen in the water. W1 stated she paddled over to him and believes he was in the water for about 2 minutes by the time she made it to him. W1 stated V1 Operator's family has a history of seizur…
Broadkill River
Milton                        