I RECEIVED A CALL FROM RALEIGH DISPATCH IN REGARD TO A SIGNAL 31 AT THE OREGON INLET ON SATURDAY APRIL 9TH AT APPROXIMATELY 11:30AM.  UPON ARRIVING AT THE US COAST GUARD STATION IN NAGS HEAD, I WAS ABLE TO INTERVIEW THE OWNER/OPERATOR OF THE VESSEL INVOLVED IN THE SINGLE BOAT ACCIDENT WHICH LEFT ONE PERSON MISSING.

Four people (father and son)  and TWO COLLEGE ROOMMATES, WERE ALL VISITING DARE COUNTY FOR A WEEKEND FISHING TRIP.  SATURDAY MORNING THE GROUP OF MEN DROVE ACROSS THE OREGON INLET BRIDGE TO OBSERVE WATER CONDITIONS BEFORE MAKING THE DECISION TO LAUNCH THE 26 FOOT CENTURY BOAT FROM THE ACCESS AREA ADJACENT TO THE US COAST GUARD STATION IN NAGS HEAD.  THE GROUP OF MEN HEADED OUT OF THE OREGON INLET INTO THE ATLANTIC OCEAN AND QUICKLY REALIZED THE CONDITIONS WERE TOO ROUGH AND TURNED THE BOAT AROUND TO HEAD BACK THROUGH THE OREGON INLET.  AFTER TURNING THE BOAT AROUND TO HEAD BACK IN A SIX FOOT WAVE STRUCK THE STARBOARD STERN OF THE VESSEL KNOCKING THE VESSEL OVER INTO ITS PORT SIDE AND THROWING three people OVERBOARD THE VESSEL'S PORT SIDE.  THE VESSEL WAS THEN HIT BY A SECOND SIX FOOT WAVE FILLING THE VESSEL'S HULL WITH WATER.  

THE VESSEL CONTINUED TO FLOAT DESPITE OVER TWO FEET OF WATER INSIDE THE HULL.  One person WAS ABLE TO SWIM BACK TO THE VESSEL AND REBOARD TO BE ABLE TO GRAB TWO PFDS AND TWO TYPE IV THROWABLE CUSHIONS AND ATTEMPT TO THROW THEM TO THE REMAINING TWO MEN IN THE WATER.  College roommate1 WAS ABLE TO SWIM TO THE REAR BOARDING LADDER OF THE BOAT AND the person onboard WAS ABLE TO HELP PULL HIM INTO THE BOAT. Two people WERE ABLE TO GRAB AHOLD OF roommate2’s BODY.  HIS FACE AND LIPS WERE ALREADY VERY BLUE.  DUE TO THE FEAR THE BOAT WAS GOING TO SINK FROM THE AMOUNT OF WATER INSIDE THE HULL, OPERATOR MADE THE DECISION TO RADIO THE USCG AND RETURN HIS BOAT TO THE ACCESS AREA.

NAGS HEAD                     