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August 25, 2003
After 30 hours, missing boaters found
Alpena EMTs and a Coast Guard rescue diver transfer a patient from a helicopter to an ambulance on Wednesday after the successful conclusion of a search for missing boaters. Alpena News Photo by Adam JURKOWSKI
By HOLLY MACE
Alpena News Staff Writer
Alpena
Two Gaylord men who had been fishing in the Alpena area on a boat that capsized Tuesday morning were found alive Wednesday afternoon following a more than 21-hour search by U.S. Coast Guard officials and many other agencies.
"These men must have had the will to survive," said Ron Kooper, assistant operations manager from Coast Guard Base Sault Ste. Marie.
John Young, 38, and Vern Uricek, 45, both of Gaylord left home at 3:30 a.m. Tuesday for Rockport and were to return home around 1 p.m. Young's wife called the Coast Guard at 7 p.m. Tuesday to report that the two men had not yet returned. After confirming the vehicle they traveled in was still at the Rockport boat launch, the Coast Guard activated the search.
The 18-foot Sea Ray Young and Uricek had been fishing in was found overturned shortly after 8 a.m. Wednesday by the Tug Tony McGee, about seven miles east of North Point in Alpena, but the two men were not in the vicinity of the boat,
Young was the first to be located Wednesday afternoon, two miles east of Potter Point, which is north of El Cajon Bay.
He had been in the water about 31 hours. Cooper said, and was wearing his life jacket and had used foam swimming noodles to make a cradle for himself.
He was hoisted out of the water by a Coast Guard helicopter and, although he was hypothermic, he was able to give the general location of Uricek.
Uricek was located around 4 p.m. on Middle Island, which was more than seven miles from where the capsized boat was found. Cooper said.
He had reached the island Tuesday night and had seen a helicopter fly overhead so he drew a large "SOS" in the sand and planted an American flag nearby.
Cooper said the boat capsized around 9 a.m. Tuesday but the cause has not yet been determined.
"We weren't able to ascertain that yet but that was right around the same time the storm came rolling through," Cooper said.
Both were transported to Alpena General Hospital for treatment. Young was admitted and was listed in fair condition Wednesday evening. Uricek was treated and released.
"These two men are alive today because they had their life jackets on," Cooper said.
Young and Uricek made the right decisions by letting someone know what time they were anticipating to arrive home and by wearing their life jackets, Cooper said. The only other thing that could have helped them further was having a radio on board the boat to call for help.
Participating in the search was a Coast Guard HC-130 plane from Air Station Clearwater, Fla.; a helicopter from Air Station Traverse City; Coast Guard Station St. Ignace; Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C.; the Alpena Coast Guard Auxiliary's 30-foot rescue boat; a lear jet from Cape Cod, Mass.; a 47-foot motor lifeboat out of Tawas; additional Coast Guard Auxiliary boats; boats from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources; the Alpena County Sheriff Department; the NOAA research vessel; local emergency personnel; and "...a whole slew of Good Samaritans."
