Friday, March 17, 2006
Boat Capsizes Off Oak Island; Four Dead
 Six volunteer firefighters fishing out of Oak Island went in the water Wednesday when their 18 foot boat capsized near Lockwoods Folly Inlet, we are sad to have to say that only two made it home. Small craft advisories were in effect and winds were between 5 and 10 knots with 1 to 2 foot seas. Sometime around noon their vessel capsized, leaving all six clinging to the boat in 58 degree water. After a few hours in the water the fishermen decided to leave the boat and try to make the 1 1/2 mile swim to nearby Holden Beach. Two of the men made it to shore at 11PM and called 911, the bodies of the other four were found yesterday. The victims were identified as Michael Shope, 21, of Raleigh; Archibald "Arch" McFadyen, 20, of Raleigh; Nathan "Griff" Lyerly, 22, of Mooresville; and Kevin Bell, 37, of Banner Elk. The news was especially painful for the Banner Elk Volunteer Fire Department, where all the victims were volunteers and Bell is the son of Fire Chief Mickey Bell. While a nearby shoreline makes a tempting target in this situation, the Coast Guard insists that staying with an overturned vessel is your best chance to survive. North Carolina Coast Guard spokesman Mark Adams stated, "The biggest point here is to stay with the vessel as long as possible, because we found the boat before we found the persons. It's much easier to see six people on a white hulled vessel than in the open ocean." More on this tragic story is available from the News & Observer and the Charlotte Observer.
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