Greene-Sullivan Forest fisherman's death ruled 'natural causes'

An Owen County man apparently suffered a heart attack and died while retrieving his boat from one of the lakes at Greene-Sullivan State Forest on Thursday.

Initially the case was probed as a death investigation, but Sullivan County Coroner Jeff Griffith announced Friday morning that the cause of death for 68-year-old John E. Matthias, of Freedom, was "cardiac problems."

The Greene County Sheriff's Department received a 911 call at 3:50 p.m. from a bystander. Sullivan County authorities were dispatched to the scene where Matthias' body was found.

Griffith told the Greene County Daily World that Matthias had been fishing alone at Narrow Lake, located just off of State Road 69, south of Dugger.

Bystanders had noticed him in a boat between 100 and 200 yards off shore between 3:15 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., the coroner stated.

The victim's body was discovered on land between his truck and boat trailer, Griffith said indicating he likely suffered a heart attack while attempting to load his boat onto the trailer.

The time of death was set at 4:06 p.m., the time when an ambulance crew arrived on the scene, but he likely died earlier, the coroner said.

"He (Matthias) had backed his truck down (a boat ramp) and his boat was partially loaded. He was found between his truck and the boat trailer. He was on the ground," Griffith added.