On May, 5th, 2023, at approximately 1430 hours,  I Cpl., received a call from Georgia State Patrol about an unoccupied boat with the motor running that was found in the Savannah River.  The GSP dispatcher patched me over to the complainant who found the unoccupied boat.  I talked to the complainant about what he found.  

Subject1 told me he was on the Savannah River below Stoney Bluff Landing.  Subject1 was unsure if he was in Burke County or Screven County.  Subject1 said as he was heading down river, he saw a boat pushed up against the pylons on the Georgia side of the Savannah River. Subject1 said the boat was in gear and the throttle seemed to be wide open.  Subject1 did not see anybody around.  He pulled the auto shutoff switch on the boat motor and tied the boat to the pylons. Subject1 said there was a wallet still in the boat.  Subject1 said he found the boat at approximately 1400 hours and called the police.  I got Subject1' contact information and started making response plans.

I contacted Game Warden First Class.  GW1 was also aware of the incident.  I told GW1 I was en route to the Sylvania State Patrol Post to get the patrol boat.  GW1 met me at the Sylvania State Patrol Post and then he followed me to Stoney Bluff Landing. While en route to the boat ramp I made contact with Sergeant (GA DNR LE).  Sgt. was already aware of the situation and he told me Game Wardens from the next work section were supposed to meet us at the boat ramp.  GW1 and I met GW at Stoney Bluff Landing and launched two patrol boats at approximately 1600 hours.

GW1 and I went down river and found the boat the way the witness, Subject1, described.  The boat was a G3 aluminum flat bottom boat, approximately 14 feet long,with a Yamaha 9.9 horsepower gas engine tiller steer on the back. I photographed the boat and the contents in the boat.  I photographed the throttle position.  The throttle was accelerated to approximately 1/2- 3/4 throttle.  The gear shifter was in the forward position.  The auto shutoff switch was unhooked.  The starboard side bow of the boat had a dent and fresh transfer from a nearby pylon.  The starboard side gunnel of the boat was also bent  from the impact.  

Inside the boat there was an aluminum storage compartment built in to the boat on the starboard side. There was a large dent on the stern side of the storage box and the lid of the box was shoved forward towards the bow of the boat. The lid hinge was also busted.  There were two marine trolling batteries in the floor of the boat near the bow.  Both batteries were laying on the sides and there was a dent in the front seat pedestal.  The dent was likely caused from the impact of one of the trolling batteries when the battery shifted from the boat impacting the pylon.  There was transfer on the inside starboard side gunnel that is consistent with transfer from the battery.  There was also a plastic tackle box in the floor of the boat with a busted lid.  Other contents inside the boat were:  assorted tackle, fishing poles, opened bag of popcorn, assorted snacks in the storage compartment, a partial gallon jug of water, and approximately half of a half gallon of Canadian Supreme Whiskey. I documented the contents of the boat, the damage to the boat, and the fresh strike marks to the pylons where the boat was located.

After the boat was documented, GW1 and I started searching the vicinity near the boat using side scan sonar in the patrol boat.  Subjects  were also searching the river using a side scan sonar in their patrol boat.  At approximately 1700 ho

Savannah River
GIRARD                        