A 77-year-old Wagoner man died Friday night after falling into the water while a boat was docking at Paradise Cove Marina on Fort Gibson Lake, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
The incident occurred at approximately 9:29 p.m. on June 20 at Dock C of Paradise Cove Marina in Cherokee County.
According to the preliminary investigation, a boat operated by 69-year-old Bonnie M. Ritchett of Tulsa was pulling into a boat slip when, for reasons that remain under investigation, passenger Marshal White, 77, of Wagoner, fell from the bow of the vessel into the water and did not resurface.
Emergency responders searched for White, who was recovered by the Cherokee Nation Marshals Dive Team at approximately 12:07 a.m. on June 21. Investigators said he was found in approximately 20 feet of water.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported that White was not wearing a personal flotation device (PFD) at the time of the incident.
The boat’s operator was not injured.
The cause of the fall remains under investigation.
The Oklahoma Highway Patrol noted that all information is preliminary and subject to change as the investigation continues.
