St. Leonard, Md. -- The Maryland Natural Resources Police credited life jackets to saving the lives of three fisherman after their vessel capsized. The accident occurred at 8 a.m. on Thursday, February 10 in the Chesapeake Bay at the Calvert Cliffs Power Plant discharge.
“The life jackets kept the men afloat in the frigid water until the nearby vessel could respond and essentially save their lives,” said NRP Sergeant Shawn Garren.
NRP’s investigation revealed that a 21-foot center console boat capsized after a four to five foot wave came over the stern while the men were fishing. The occupants of the vessel, Kevin Lynn Gladhill, 32, of Boonsboro; Michael George Krall, 35, of Keedysville; and Russell Uger Neff III, 55, of Boonsboro, were thrown into the 30-degree water.
A nearby fishing vessel responded to the fishermen’s calls for help. Dennis Charles Fleming, 51, of Mechanicsville and Grady Terry Warhurst, 64, of Upper Marlboro were at the scene within ten minutes and retrieved all three men from the water. The rescuing party transported the fishermen to Flag Harbor Marina in St. Leonard, where they were taken to Calvert Memorial Hospital and treated for hypothermia.
“The affects of hypothermia were quickly affecting the victims muscles, speech and their mental awareness. One of the victims could not even remember what happened to him,” Garren said. “They wouldn’t have made it much longer.”
NRP reminds boaters that wearing life jackets saves lives. Most accidents happen too quickly for life jackets to be an afterthought. Put on a life jacket prior to leaving the dock and wear it continually throughout the trip.
It is also important to check the vessel and its equipment prior to every departure. The cold weather affects battery life, ices fuel lines and vessel surfaces and clogs bilge pumps. It also numbs a person’s senses, making reaction time much slower.
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