Wind, rough seas cause boat to capsize

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Beach police say a preliminary investigation shows that a wave came over the boat, causing the engine to stall out. While the men attempted to restart the engine, wind and wavy conditions caused the boat to turn. As the waves continued to hit the stern of the boat, the boat began to take on water, filling it up, police say. The driver of the boat called in a distress call, but the boat eventually capsized sending all six boaters into the water.

Police say no charges are pending.

This case remains under investigation by the Department's Marine Patrol Unit.

Stay with WAVY.com and WAVY News 10 for the latest in their investigation.

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What Chopper 10 saw from the air, Matthew Bailey, a Virginia pilot boater watched.

"As we were turning to come back to the inlet, we saw the chopper coming down and knew something, they had found something."

The 18 foot Tracker boat had capsized near the Lynnhaven Inlet. The six men aboard were in the icy 40 degree water of the bay. Virginia Beach police say the men, all from Arizona, who may have been fishing for striper bass. They traveled to the resort city several times a year. Bailey's boat was the first to reach them.

"The first one, he was conscience, but very hypothermic and we got him and as we were getting him up on the boat and getting him into the cabin. Reed realized there were two people floating next to us. Got one of those out and luckily another boat came and got another one out."

The pilot boaters know these waters. They spend their days shuttling crews to the larger ships. It's a job Bobby Sadler has done for 17 years.

"It was really bad this morning early and if that's when they went out they should have had more sense than go out in this weather. We had to slow down and this boat is 52 feet," says Sadler.

The Coast Guard, Virginia Beach police, fire and EMS all assisted.  The overturned boat was finally brought to the marina. Its contents, a cooler, plans for what should have been a fun day of fishing picked out of the water. The pilot boaters train for these types of rescues and this one was Bailey's first. He says he'd it again.

"I would want someone to help me if I was in that situation. You just do what you can do," says Bailey.

Beach police says the boat's owner 69-year-old Alan Dedrick and 89-year-old Ned Rokey died. The remaining four men were taken to Virginia Beach General Hospital for treatment.