MAN DIES IN SAILBOAT ACCIDENT NEAR VASHON ISLAND
MAN DIES IN SAILBOAT ACCIDENT NEAR VASHON ISLAND
(The Associated Press)
GIG HARBOR, Wash. — A man died Saturday after a sailboat partially overturned in high winds and threw two of the four people aboard into frigid Puget Sound near Vashon Island, Coast Guard officials said.
The victim WAS NOT WEARING A LIFEJACKET and was unconscious when he was pulled from the water by a rescue boat from the Des Moines Fire Department, Petty Officer Third Class Jeff Pollinger said Saturday night.
A Coast Guard helicopter from Port Angeles took the man to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he was pronounced dead at 3:03 p.m.
KING Television reported that three men and a woman were aboard the 25-foot sailboat when it capsized and then righted itself shortly after noon. Two of the men were thrown into the water.
The victim was found 90 minutes after a Vashon Island Fire Department boat picked up the other man, who was treated and released from a Vashon Island hospital, KING reported.
Additional details were not available.
Dear Crew
Scotty Peck was killed during the race on Saturday. He was sailing his boat,
a 25 foot Santana, with three other crew, one of whom was Chester Hibbard.
They took a severe knockdown in the vicinity of Point Robinson off Vashon.
Two crew were knocked overboard. Chester was holding Scotty who was
unresponsive and turning blue in the water when he had to let go to save the
other crewman who was suffering from hypothermia. When they managed to get
the person aboard, Scotty had slipped away. Scotty was wearing a inflatable
but it did not inflate leading to speculation that Scotty was unconscious
when he hit the water.
For those of you who did not know Scotty, he sailed with us many times. He
was one of the good sailors on the sound, a great foredecker. He loved
sailing as very few can. Todd and Mike had called today because of a rumor
that it was Scott. I just now heard the full story from one of the Jones
boys. Sorry to be the bearer of shocking news, but I thought you all should
know what happened.
Art
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