THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, August 19, 1994 TAG: 9408190594
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY MARGARET TALEV, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
A vacationing visitor originally from Thailand drowned in Roanoke Sound while windsurfing Wednesday night, the second victim of water sports accidents on the Outer Banks in the past week.
Surin Sripongpok, 48, of Bangkok died when he apparently fell from his rented sailboard. Last Friday night, Ashley ``Ash'' David Atkins, 14, of Newport News, Va., died from injuries he received during an accident on the family Jetski in Southern Shores.
Police said both victims were using the water equipment alone in areas not patrolled by lifeguards.
Sripongpok was found submerged and unconscious a quarter mile off the Nags Head sound shore at milepost 16 about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nags Head Fire Chief Doug Remaley said Thursday.
``He had rented a windsurfer and was out windsurfing,'' Remaley said. ``They don't know exactly what happened. They noticed him fall, and about half an hour later some people found him. I believe those people were the rental people.
``They found him submerged and unconscious, brought his head to the surface and called us,'' Remaley said. Attempts to resuscitate Sripongpok were unsuccessful, and Remaley said officials believe he had been unconscious in the water for some time.
He was pronounced dead at Outer Banks Medical Center, and his body was sent to Greenville for an autopsy.
According to Remaley, Sripongpok was vacationing on the Outer Banks with his son, but his son did not go windsurfing with him. Remaley said Sripongpok had been living in Great Falls, Va.
Atkins was found in the canal along Tall Pine Lane in Southern Shores by his stepfather, officials said.
Police had received a phone call after 5:30 p.m. Friday from Nancy Reed, who said her son was late returning. ``About the same time, the stepdad found him in another part of town'' and called for help, Southern Shores Police Lt. Ben Alexander said.
``When the accident happened, he lost control of the Jetski and hit a piling, was thrown off the Jetski and his head was injured,'' Alexander said.
Atkins' stepfather, Wayne Reed, pulled him out of the canal and tried to resuscitate him, Alexander said. Southern Shores police and Dare County emergency units took the youth to North Beach Medical Center, where he was revived. He was flown to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, and died about 11 p.m. Friday.
Atkins was an honors student and band member at Newsome Park Middle School in Newport News, where he had completed the eighth-grade.
It was the first fatal boating accident in Southern Shores since the town was incorporated in 1979, Alexander said.
KEYWORDS: ACCIDENT GENERAL FATALITY DROWNING
WINDSURFING by CNB