Tragic. It amazes me these guys got to be that old being that stupid.
Just lucky up to this point, I guess. I seldom wear an IPFD unless I'm
single handing, when I always do. But that's in a 25' cruiser. I would
never even consider going out in a 16' boat even in warm, protected
waters without one. In near freezing coastal water? Unthinkable.
JR


On Feb 24, 9:13�am, Chuck Gould wrote:

SEATTLE - The search for a third man who was reported aboard a 16-foot
aluminum vessel that capsized in the vicinity of Clatsop Spit near
Hammond, Ore., was suspended at 5:55 p.m. today pending any further
developments.

The decision to suspend the search was only made after both air and
surface rescue crews conducted an extensive six hour search over
approximately 276 miles, from east of the Astoria-Megler Bridge to
Hammond, without any signs of the missing man. Expected survivability
was approximately four hours.

The missing man was last seen wearing black rain pants with a black
raincoat and was one of three men aboard the vessel that was
discovered capsized around 10:45 a.m.

Clatsop County Sheriff's Department contacted the family of one of the
victims and discovered that there were three men aboard the vessel.

The bodies of the two other men were discovered earlier today by both
a Good Samaritan and a Coast Guard motor lifeboat crew from Station
Cape Disappointment. Both men were not wearing lifejackets.

Group Astoria launched an HH-60 helicopter crew to the scene, along
with a 25-foot response boat crew from Station Cape Disappointment, to
assist in the search.

The boat crews towed the 16-foot pleasure craft to Hammond Marina to
right the vessel and search inside.

The Coast Guard reminds boaters that lifejackets greatly increase the
chance of survival during a maritime accident. Boaters should be
wearing their lifejacket at all times while they're on the water
because conditions and situations can change rapidly.


Some names. May they rest in peace.

Dead are James Nibler, age 54, of Salem, Ore., and Curtis Heuer, age
52, of Newberg, Ore.

Missing is Lawrence Nibler, age 41, of Salem, Ore., brother of James
Nibler.


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