DATE: Thursday, May 15, 1997                TAG: 9705150490

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B5   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY ANGELITA PLEMMER AND BATTINTO BATTS JR., STAFF WRITERS 

DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH                        LENGTH:   52 lines

2 BODIES PULLED FROM CAR FOUND AT BOTTOM OF RIVER

Construction workers discovered a car containing the bodies of two men submerged in the Elizabeth River at the High Street boat-landing Wednesday morning.

Workers for Tidewater Construction Corp. uncovered a battered white Camaro in 15 feet of water while dredging the river, said Richard Hartman, chief engineer for the city. Police are investigating the deaths.

The names of the dead men, believed to be in their late teens to 20s, were not released, pending notification of their next of kin. They are believed to have been the car's only passengers, Amber Whittaker, a police spokeswoman, said.

One of the dead men was in the Navy and based on a Norfolk ship. The other was an employee of Norfolk Naval Shipyard, city officials said.

The cause of death has not been determined, but city officials speculate that the men accidentally drove the car into the river from High Street more than three weeks ago.

An hour before finding the car, the construction workers uncovered a portion of chain-link fence in the water that had been used as a barricade to the construction area.

Construction company employees had noticed part of the fence missing April 20 and notified the police, Hartman said. About the same time, a security officer reported hearing a loud crash near the construction site, but could find nothing, city officials said.

``It seemed funny that the gate was gone,'' he said. ``But there were no car tracks.

``They had to be going pretty fast, because the car was in the middle of the inlet,'' Hartman said.

The city had begun installing pipe barriers at the end of High Street a few days before the chain-link fence was reported missing to prevent such accidents, Hartman said.

``As far as I know, everything that we have done has been in compliance with any of the city requirements and proper construction procedures,'' said Guy Blanton, vice president for administration at Tidewater Construction Corp.

Police worked several hours to lift the car onto the dock.

Wednesday's was the second discovery in recent months during construction of the inlet. In February, workers uncovered a 17th century warship in the water.

Construction on the landing is expected to resume today. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by MARK MITCHELL/The Virginian-Pilot

Construction workers surround a white Camaro that was pulled from

the Elizabeth River at the High Street boat-landing in Portsmouth

Wednesday morning. The car contained the bodies of two men. KEYWORDS: ACCIDENT TRAFFIC DROWNING ELIZABETH RIVER

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