Part of the story (from www.fryingpantower.com)
Following the EPIRB broadcast, a C-130 airplane from Coast Guard Air Station
Elizabeth City, and a 47-foot rescue boat from Coast Guard Station Fort
Macon immediately launched to assist. Around 7a.m., the C-130 noticed a
strobe light and directed the rescue boat to their position. Crewmembers
from the rescue boat pulled Harris to safety and continued searching for
Shaffer, who had reportedly removed his lifejacket and begun swimming
towards the airplane when he had seen it.



Well don't that tell ya something? They set off their EPIRB (or it went
off) at 4 am and the CG got there around 7. From this it sounds like both
were alive and well when the airplane arrived. But the guy that kept his
jacket on got rescued. The other guy takes his jacket off and swims toward
the plane? Man that doesn't sound to bright. ~ Of course, initial stories
have a way of being all mixed up and not true...