On march 26, 2023 at approximately 1405 hours, i, indiana conservation officer (ico), overheard radio traffic from the switzerland county sheriff's office ddspatch relating to a person missing in the water at the patriot, indiana boat ramp.            
           
I contacted off-duty ico diver by telephone.  ICO1 advised he would be en route but his eta was approximately an hour and a half.  I also contacted ico2 and had him get a boat en route to the scene.  I then proceeded to the boat ramp from vevay, indiana and arrived at approximately 1420 hours.  Upon my arrival, i observed a capsized personal watercraft (pwc) floating in goose creek approximately 90 feet east of the boat ramp.  Switzerland county deputy was on scene interviewing the surviving passenger, who was being treated for hypothermia in a switzerland county ems ambulance.  

Switzerland county deputy briefed me on the incident.  Deputy1 advised a male and female entered the water after the pwc they were on capsized.  Deputy1 said the male victim was missing in the water and the female made it out of the water and was in the ambulance being treated for hypothermia.  Deputy1 also introduced me to subject who claimed to be friends of the victims and the owner of the pwc involved in this incident.                                                                               
                 
Fire and rescue diver arrived on scene and entered goose creek where the surviving victim.  Diver recovered the body of victim approximately fifteen feet from the end of the southern-most boat dock on goose creek in approximately six feet of water.  Victim was immediately administered cpr and other life saving measures by the switzerland county ems.  Deputy1 previously requested med-evac (air methods) who arrived at 1516 hours and flew victim to university of cincinnati hospital in cincinnati, ohio.  Cardiac death was recorded for victim at the university of cincinnati hospital after the rewarming of his body core temperature reached 95 degrees fahrenheit (see hamilton county coroner's report attached).               
                
I then interviewed the owner of the pwc and friend of victim, who was at the boat ramp.  I asked owner for his driver's license and he said his driver's license was suspended, therefore, not in his possession.  Owner said because his driver's license was suspended, he did not operate the pwc or his chevrolet z71 suv, except for backing it down the boat ramp to launch his pwc.  He further claimed he operated his vehicle again from the boat ramp to the parking area.  owner said he purchased the yamaha pwc the day prior to this incident from an individual.   Owner stated person had it advertised on facebook.  Owner said he, victim and victim's girlfriend arrived at the boat ramp earlier this afternoon to test drive his newly purchased pwc.     
       
Owner stated after they arrived at the boat ramp, he backed the trailer with the pwc down the boat ramp while victim waited on the ramp.  Owner said after the pwc was backed into the water, victim got onto the pwc and operated it to the end of the boat dock where girlfriend waited to board the pwc.  Owner said he then drove his vehicle, that was towing the empty pwc trailer, to the parking lot area and parked.  Owner said he walked toward the boat dock to watch victim test drive the pwc.  Owner said he then heard victim and girlfriend yelling for help.  

Owner said he then ran to the boat dock and saw that the pwc was capsized with victim and girlfriend in the water near the end of the southern-most boat dock in goose creek.  Owner said he then attempted to reach them by laying down on the dock and extending his arm to them but they were just out of reach. 

 Owner said he then called 911 while at the same time attempting to locate anything around the boat ramp area that he could extend to them and pull them to safety (see attached 911 call audio).            
Owner said he located a log and again attempted to reach them by going to the end of the dock and extending the log to them, however, he still could not reach them with the log.  Owner said he then went to his vehicle and retrieved a set of jumper cables.  Owner said he returned to the end of the dock where victim and girlfriend were still treading water, near the end of the dock.   Owner said he held one end of the jumper cables and threw the other end to girlfriend.   Owner said girlfriend held on to the jumper cables and he pulled her to the dock and alongside the dock to the shoreline.  Owner stated as he was returning to the end of the dock to rescue victim he sank beneath the surface of the water.  Owner stated he did not have pfds (personal flotation devices) in his possession.  Owner also advised that neither victim nor girlfriend were wearing pfds when they boarded his pwc.  Owner advised that there was no alcohol or drug use prior to this incident.  
               
I attempted to interview girlfriend while she was recovering from hypothermia in the switzerland county ems ambulance, however, due to her condition she was unable to articulate the events leading up to the capsizing of the pwc and i decided to interview her at a later time.      
          
At 1905 hours i received a phone call from the grandmother of victim and his legal guardian until he became an adult.  Grandmother said victim could not swim.  She further advised that she had received information from girlfriend's mother, that indicated owner was not truthful about the events leading up to the capsizing of the pwc and subsequent drowning of victim.  

Grandmother added owner had a suspended driver's license and he operated the pwc on goose creek prior to it being operated by victim.  This is contrary to what owner informed me in my interview with him immediately following the drowning.   

Grandmother also said owner, not victim, drove his chevrolet z71 suv to the patriot boat ramp prior to the drowning.  This is also contrary to what owner informed me during my interview with him.  During that interview owner said since his driver's license was suspended, he had victim drive his chevrolet z71 suv from the girlfriend residence in patriot to the patriot boat ramp.  Grandmother felt that owner should be charged with those violations, and that owner should be criminally charged with the death of her grandson, victim.  Grandmother also sent me a series of video recordings that owner reportedly recorded and sent to girlfriend's cell phone. This video footage allegedly shows victim operating the pwc on goose creek prior to the drowning.  Grandmother also sent a series of text messages advising victim had diminished mental capacity, was incapable of making sound decisions and that owner had knowledge of those (see attached text messages, emails and video recordings from Grandmother). 
              
On april 1, 2023 i interviewed owner for a second time and this interview was audio recorded. To assist the reader, the following is a synopsis of certain pertinent information.  This synopsis is not intended to be verbatim or a transcript.  For additional detailed information refer to the audio recording.
Goose Creek
Patriot                       