THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc. DATE: Thursday, August 29, 1996 TAG: 9608290395 SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B9 EDITION: FINAL SOURCE: BY MARK YOUNG, STAFF WRITER DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: 37 lines
A 45-year-old Virginia Beach man apparently drowned Wednesday morning in Owl Creek as he tried to inspect his boat's motor.
Donald Ellsworth Inge of the 1000 block of Piney Marsh Court fell into the creek about 10:30 a.m. shortly after launching his 17-foot motor boat from the Owl Creek Boat Ramp on General Booth Boulevard.
Inge and a friend, John Grimstead, were heading out to fish near the breakers at Rudee Inlet in Inge's boat. Grimstead said the boat lost forward motion, so Inge cut the power and raised the motor to investigate. Grimstead told police he believed the heavy, 65-horsepower motor was not locked in position.
After inspecting the propeller, Inge braced himself to move from the transom into the boat, Grimstead said. The propeller end of the motor then shifted position, falling into the water, causing Inge to lose his footing and sending him into the creek.
Grimstead said he threw Inge a line when he surfaced, but he did not grab it. Inge then went down again and did not come up, Grimstead said.
Both police and Grimstead said that Inge was not wearing a life preserver, although Grimstead said the boat was equipped with flotation devices.
Inge's body was recovered about 2:30 p.m. by police divers and was taken to Virginia Beach General hospital for examination. Detective Steve Dunn said that, pending a final determination by the Medical Examiner's office, the case is being treated as an accidental drowning.
Inge was retired from the Navy and a past commander of American Legion Post 81. He was a husband and father of three sons. One of his sons, Kenny Inge, was an All-Tidewater basketball star at Atlantic Shores Christian School last year and had verbally committed this month to attend North Carolina State University on a scholarship.
KEYWORDS: ACCIDENT BOATING DROWNING by CNB