On april 29, 2023, Subject launched his 16'' g3 1648 boat with a yamaha 25 hp outboard motor at blewett''s grave boating access area on the pee dee river in richmond county. Subject was accompanied by his black german shepherd dog. He traveled up the river to the left corner below blewett falls dam in anson county to find bait fish. Blewett falls dam is a low head dam. Due to high water levels, a high volume of water was discharging over top of the dam at the time the incident occurred. 

North carolina wildlife law enforcement officers, along with other responding agencies, were able to view security footage from blewett fall''s dam courtesy of duke energy. Based on surveillance footage, subject was occupied with retrieving water from the river with a bucket and filling his bait tank. His vessel began drifting towards the base of the dam near the overflow. 

The current produced by the low head dam and the topography of the river caused the drifting boat to be pulled towards the cascading waters of the dam. As the boat''s stern approached the overflow, the boat became parallel with the dam. The vessel began to fill with water as it was pulled into the overflow. A combination of the turbid waters at the base of the dam along with the swamping of the boat caused it to capsize to the starboard side, sending subject and the dog into the river in the same direction. This happened at approximately 11:48 am and subject was not wearing a personal floatation device at the time. 

Law enforcement was called and dispatched to the scene at approximately 8:57 pm. A search was conducted by local first responder organizations that day until dark. Multiple first responder organizations and law enforcement agencies continued searching for the missing boater the following three days. On may 1, 2023, at approximately 10:40 am, the german shepherd dog was found on blewett falls hydroelectric plant and returned to the victim''s family. 

The vessel was located and recovered by local search and rescue crews on may 2, 2023, at approximately 3:55 pm. It was located 1.42 miles south of the hwy 74 bridge. Later that day, at approximately 5:34pm, subject was found deceased and floating a half mile north of the diggs boating access area before the train trestle. The victim was recovered by the local fire department search teams and transported to diggs boating access area and further transported by ems. The medical examiner deemed the cause of death to be drowning.

PEE DEE RIVER
LILESVILLE                    