From Today's Washington Post
Story Link One Man Is Rescued, Another Dies After Sailboat Capsizes in Winds
By James Hohmann
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 29, 2008; B03
A District man whose sailboat toppled in the wind was rescued from the choppy waters of the Chesapeake Bay this weekend, but he could not save his elderly cousin, despite last-ditch efforts to throw him a life jacket, authorities said yesterday.
After an intensive search involving six agencies, a Maryland Natural Resources Police helicopter discovered the body of James W. Stone, 74, of Falls Church on Sunday morning near Parker Creek.
Stone, who family members said was an experienced sailor, had been spending Saturday at a family vacation home in the bayside enclave of Scientists' Cliffs. He and a cousin, Jeffrey G. Feagin, 33, were trying to turn their 16-foot catamaran to the northwest when 20 to 25 knot winds from the south forced the craft onto its side, according to police.
"It doesn't take much to turn those over," said Sgt. Ken Turner, a Natural Resources Police spokesman.
Neither man was wearing a life jacket when they were thrown into the water, about a mile offshore. Feagin, who lives in the Kalorama neighborhood, grabbed two life jackets, putting one on himself and throwing the other to Stone, police and family said.
For 10 minutes, Feagin tried to throw the life jacket to his cousin, but unusually high winds made that almost impossible, Turner said.
The vest came within 10 feet of Stone.
"Anytime you go overboard like that, it's a very disorienting experience," said Feagin's brother, Frank C. Feagin Jr., who said he came to Maryland from Birmingham, Ala., after the accident to support his brother.
"Jeffrey was trying to right the boat to go around and get Jim," Frank Feagin Jr. said. "He was never able to right the boat. Jeffrey couldn't find Jim anywhere."
After Feagin lost sight of his cousin, with whom he had sailed several times, he decided to grab hold of the pontoon at the bottom of the catamaran, authorities said.
He held on for about two hours in three- to five-foot waves until a passing boater rescued him. Once he was rescued, someone called 911 and a search began, authorities said.
Family members said that Feagin, who was treated for cuts and bruises at Calvert Memorial Hospital in Prince Frederick, was shaken up about the loss of his sailing partner.
Severe weather and high waves had forced rescuers, including the Calvert County Dive Team and the Solomons Volunteer Rescue Squad, to suspend the search from about midnight until sunrise Sunday.
Turner said there were no signs of trauma on Stone's body and investigators do not suspect foul play.
Stone is survived by his wife, Crawford "Corky" Feagin Stone. A funeral is scheduled for Thursday. Stone grew up in Annapolis and graduated from St. John's College. Sailing was one of his passions.
"If there's any silver lining," Frank Feagin Jr. said, "he died doing what he loved."
Staff researcher Meg Smith contributed to this report.
