DATE: Friday, June 27, 1997                 TAG: 9706270684

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B5   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: STAFF REPORT 

DATELINE: NEWPORT NEWS                      LENGTH:   31 lines

BOAT SINKS IN THE JAMES, KILLING MAN; 3 RESCUED

A 58-year-old man died when a boat sank Thursday morning in the James River near the Monitor Merrimac Bridge-Tunnel, a Coast Guard spokesman said.

The body of Charles B. Brown of 18 Barrack St. in Hampton was sent to the State Medical Examiner's office after an investigation by the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, said Coast Guard Petty Officer Harry Craft.

Brown's body was picked up by the Coast Guard after three survivors were rescued by the fishing boat Carl Ann, Craft said.

The three men told Virginia Marine Resources Commission investigators that they launched an 18-foot fishing boat at Peterson's Yacht Basin at midnight Wednesday and were planning to go fishing. About 2:45 a.m., they noticed their boat was taking on water.

The boat sank and the men, wearing life jackets, floated in the water nearly three hours before being rescued.

The three survivors told officials that, as they waited for help, they noticed that Brown was beginning to panic. They swam over to Brown, but he was not conscious, they said.

The three survivors were Alfloyd Woodard Sr. of Hampton, his brother Herbert I. Woodard of Norlina, N.C., and their nephew Antine Lewis, 17, also of Norlina. All three were taken to Sentara Hampton General Hospital and treated for mild hypothermia. KEYWORDS: ACCIDENT BOAT DROWNING

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