Boater dies after vessel capsizes south of Topsail Island

PENDER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission is investigating a deadly boating accident off of Lea Island and Topsail Island that happened Sunday.

Senior Wildlife Resources Officer David Sellers tells us the accident happened around 11:00 a.m. off of the inlet between Lea Island and Topsail Island. He says one man died and two others were treated for hypothermia.

Sellers says three men were on a 19-foot fishing vessel at the time. He says the vessel was attempting to make a turn near the breakers and was flipped by a wave. Two men were able to sit atop the flipped boat, but the third could not make it out of the water.

Sellers says eventually the wind and surf grounded the boat and two of the men were able to get out in waist deep water. The men tried to administer aid to the third until Pender EMS made it on scene. Sellers says the victim was pronounced dead upon arrival of first responders.

“No one to my knowledge had life jackets on,” said Sellers.

Sellers says a cause of death is still being determined and at this time he is not certain if the victim drowned or not.

The Coast Guard also responded out of Wrightsville Beach and located the boat grounded with the men on shore.