1 man rescued, 1 dies after boat capsizes off Va. Beach

VIRGINIA BEACH

One man was taken to a hospital, and rescuers recovered the body of a second man, after a fishing boat capsized late Sunday night at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.

The 14- foot aluminum boat, with the two men aboard, capsized around 11:30 p.m. Sunday when one of the men stood up and lost his balance, causing the stern to dip below the water's surface, said Adam Bernstein, a spokesman for Virginia Beach police, which is handling the investigation.

Both men were thrown into the water, he said. The survivor clung to the boat for several hours before grabbing a fishing line and being pulled to the shore of First Island by a fisherman, Bernstein said. 

A preliminary investigation revealed that alcohol was a factor in the incident, Bernstein said.

Bruce Nedelka, division chief for Virginia Beach Emergency Medical Services, said both men were wearing life jackets. They likely were carried away by swift currents that weren't evident because waters appeared calm overnight, he said.

The man who was rescued was taken to Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital for treatment of hypothermia and was expected to recover, Nedelka said. He said the water temperature was estimated to be between 54 and 60 degrees.  

The body of the second man was spotted about three miles off Cape Henry by one of two pilot association boats shortly before 7 a.m. and was taken aboard a Coast Guard boat, authorities said. Police identified him as Antonio Cash, 38, of the 7900 block of Old Oceanview Road in Norfolk.

The man who was rescued was described as being in his mid-30s, Nedelka said. Police did not release his identity.

One of two Coast Guard helicopters on the scene had spotted the capsized boat earlier and was using it as the center point for the search, Nedelka said. Boats from the Coast Guard also assisted in the search, along with boats from the city's fire, EMS and police agencies and a Norfolk fire boat.