                             THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Saturday, October 21, 1995             TAG: 9510210265
SECTION: LOCAL                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT 
                                             LENGTH: Long  :  107 lines

FISHERMAN RESCUED AFTER STAYING AFLOAT FOR 18 HOURS

A 65-year-old commercial fisherman who clung to fish net floats for more than 18 hours in North Carolina's Albemarle Sound was rescued Friday by other fishermen, following an all-night search by Coast Guard, Navy and police.

Rescuers were to resume their search for a second man today after rough water forced them to stop Friday evening.

The survivor, identified as James Gaylord, of Roper near Edenton, is in stable condition at Chowan County Hospital, according to a spokeswoman.

``He's doing remarkably well,'' said Patty Madry, an administrative assistant with the Chowan County Emergency Services.

``I told him the Lord had something for him,'' she said.

Even his rescuers carried some divine providence. Their boat is named ``Resurrection.''

Gaylord was found about 11:30 a.m. Friday clinging to floats attached to fish nets. His 16-foot boat was found capsized off Sandy Point shortly after midnight, said Coast Guard officials in Portsmouth.

He and the missing man had been in the water since about 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

Gaylord told authorities he apparently overloaded his boat with fishing nets and that when they shifted the boat capsized, said Madry. Coast Guard officials said they found a line of debris nearly two miles long.

``When we picked him up his body temperature was down and he was cold,'' said Madry. ``We started warming him up and he became more alert. He seems fine,'' she said.

A relative had called police about 10 p.m. Thursday to report the men overdue after leaving Mackeys Island.

A Coast Guard rescue boat from Coinjock and helicopter from Elizabeth City, joined police, auxiliary and Navy units in the search.

KEYWORDS: RESCUE U.S. COAST GUARD A 65-YEAR-OLD COMMERCIAL FISHERMAN

WHO CLUNG TO FISH NET FLOATS FOR MORE THAN 18 HOURS IN NORTH

CAROLINA'S ALBEMARLE SOUND WAS RESCUED FRIDAY BY OTHER FISHERMEN,

FOLLOWING AN ALL-NIGHT SEARCH BY COAST GUARD, NAVY AND POLICE.

RESCUERS WERE TO RESUME THEIR SEARCH FOR A SECOND MAN TODAY AFTER

ROUGH WATER FORCED THEM TO STOP FRIDAY EVENING.

THE SURVIVOR, IDENTIFIED AS JAMES GAYLORD, OF ROPER NEAR EDENTON,

IS IN STABLE CONDITION AT CHOWAN COUNTY HOSPITAL, ACCORDING TO A

SPOKESWOMAN.

``HE'S DOING REMARKABLY WELL,'' SAID PATTY MADRY, AN

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT WITH THE CHOWAN COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICES.

``I TOLD HIM THE LORD HAD SOMETHING FOR HIM,'' SHE SAID.

EVEN HIS RESCUERS CARRIED SOME DIVINE PROVIDENCE. THEIR BOAT IS

NAMED ``RESURRECTION.''

GAYLORD WAS FOUND ABOUT 11:30 A.M. FRIDAY CLINGING TO FLOATS

ATTACHED TO FISH NETS. HIS 16-FOOT BOAT WAS FOUND CAPSIZED OFF SANDY

POINT SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT, SAID COAST GUARD OFFICIALS IN

PORTSMOUTH.

HE AND THE MISSING MAN HAD BEEN IN THE WATER SINCE ABOUT 5:30

P.M. THURSDAY.

GAYLORD TOLD AUTHORITIES HE APPARENTLY OVERLOADED HIS BOAT WITH

FISHING NETS AND THAT WHEN THEY SHIFTED THE BOAT CAPSIZED, SAID

MADRY. COAST GUARD OFFICIALS SAID

THEY FOUND A LINE OF DEBRIS NEARLY TWO MILES LONG.

``WHEN WE PICKED HIM UP HIS BODY TEMPERATURE WAS DOWN AND HE WAS

COLD,'' SAID MADRY.

``WE STARTED WARMING HIM UP AND HE BECAME MORE ALERT. HE SEEMS

FINE,'' SHE SAID.

A RELATIVE HAD CALLED POLICE ABOUT 10 P.M. THURSDAY TO REPORT THE

MEN OVERDUE AFTER LEAVING MACKEYS ISLAND.

A COAST GUARD RESCUE BOAT FROM COINJOCK AND HELICOPTER FROM

ELIZABETH CITY, JOINED POLICE, AUXILIARY AND NAVY UNITS IN THE

SEARCH.

A 65-YEAR-OLD COMMERCIAL FISHERMAN WHO CLUNG TO FISH NET FLOATS

FOR MORE THAN 18 HOURS IN NORTH CAROLINA'S ALBEMARLE SOUND WAS

RESCUED FRIDAY BY OTHER FISHERMEN, FOLLOWING AN ALL-NIGHT SEARCH BY

COAST GUARD, NAVY AND POLICE.