One Dead, Two Missing After Fishing Boat Sinks in Pamlico Sound

On Tuesday, the U.S. Coast Guard rescued two fishermen from the water after their vessel sank in Pamlico Sound, North Carolina. Both of the rescuees were hypothermic, and one did not survive despite efforts at resuscitation. A search is currently under way for the vessel's other two crewmembers.

On Tuesday night, watchstanders at the Coast Guard’s Fifth District command center received a distress signal from an EPIRB registered to the shrimp trawler Papa’s Girl. A motor lifeboat crew from Coast Guard Station Hatteras Inlet and a helicopter aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City were launched to respond.

Once on scene, the aircrew located two of the four crewmembers and transferred them to Sentara Albemarle Hospital in Elizabeth City for medical care. Both mariners rescued were hypothermic condition; one required CPR and was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Local media have identified the victim as the vessel's master, Floyd "FG" Gibbs. The survivor has been identified as Benjamin Poe and the two missing men as Sammy Douglas and Keyron Davis.

At first light, a search was conducted by Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City aircrew members with negative results. A motor lifeboat crew from Station Hatteras Inlet, along with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission and the good samaritan vessel Aubrey Niel are continuing to search.

“This is a rough case and as we continue to search, our thoughts are with the families of the mariners,” said Matthew Brooks, search and rescue coordinator for the case. “We’re grateful for the EPIRB that was activated during the case, which enabled us to get resources on-scene as quickly as possible. A properly registered EPIRB is a vital and highly-recommended piece of equipment."