Two men and a teenage boy survived, thanks to thequick response of an off-duty deputy who was fishing nearby. Reportedly,no one on the boat had been wearing a life jacket.
David and Rebecca Burchette and their children, 11-year-old Sarah and 14-year-old Jeffrey were on board the new cabin cruiser with the boat dealer when it capsized. Rebecca Burchette was found dead insidethe boat. Her daughter Sarah was taken to Rex Hospital,where she later died.
Officials from the North Carolina Wildlife Enforcement Agency say thefamily was apparently testing the new boat when David Burchette made a left, then a right turn at a speed ofabout 35 mph. That caused the boat to capsize.
Dozens of workers from at least seven agencies participated in therescue operation. It was difficult to find the woman and her daughterbecause they were trapped in the cabin of the submerged boat. The motherwas found about 90 minutes after the 4 p.m. accident by a scuba-equippeddiver. Her body was lodged near theboat's steering wheel. Thirty minutes later, the girl was found in thebow. She showed no signs of life, but paramedics tried desperately toresuscitate her on the way to Rex.
Rescue worker John Gray says it was it was a frustrating situation.
Water temperature was put in the low 40s.
"Forty-two degree water just overwhelms you in a matter of minutes,"said Six Gray. "You lose your ability to reason."
The three males were rescued fairly quickly. Jim Lebuf, a Wake Countysheriff's deputy, heard screams as he was fishing with a friend. Hiscompanion called 911 on a cellular phone in their boat, and Lebuf dove intopull the three men -- by now clinging to the craft -- to shore.
Lebuf was treated for hypothermia; he had been in the water at least 30minutes himself.
Volunteer rescuers dove in wearing regular clothing; later scubaequipment appeared, as did speed boats and a pontoon boat. Because thecapsized boat created intense suction, it could not be turned rightsideup.
Gray said mental health workers will be at the Bayleaf Fire StationMonday to counsel rescuers.
There is no word yet on what caused the boat to turn over.
Tom Freeman of the Army Corps of Engineers says there are many thingsboaters should be aware of at this time of year.
Freeman refers to a "pfd", which stands for personal flotation device,usually a life jacket of some sort.
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
