Two Arizona Men Die When Boat Capsized

Two Arizona men died last Wednesday when their fishing boat capsized in frigid waters and high winds near Virginia Beach, Va., said U.S. Coast Guard officials.

Around 9 a.m. the Coast Guard responded to a mayday call regarding the overturned boat near Lynnhaven Intel, where the Chesapeake Bay meets the Lynnhaven River, and saw the boat and people in the water, according to Coast Guard officials.

Rescue swimmers were deployed from a Coast Guard helicopter who pulled two of the men from the frigid water and took them to Norfolk Sentara General Hospital, officials said. The other four people were transferred to rescue boats at the scene and were treated at local hospitals for hyphothermia, Coast guard officials said. All of the six men were from Arizona, but no further identification is available.

One of the two men who died was identified by a family member as Ned Rokey, 89, of Mesa. Media reports identified the other man, Allen Dedrick, 69, who was the owner of the boat.

The boaters were not wearing life jackets and were boating in bad water conditions where winds ranged from 20 to 25 mph, waves were up to 5 feet high and water temperatures were between 44 and 46 degrees.