The Punta Gorda herald., 1922-09-29
MAN and BOY LOST when
BOAT SWAMPED IN S0UALL
Ira Adams and Wilton Carroll Drown
ed Near Captiva Pass Last
Thursday

Ira Adams, former chief of polio,
and well known here, and Wilton Car
roll, a young man about IS years O
age, were drowned near Captiva Pas!
Thursday afternoon OF last weei
about two O'Clock when they attempt
cd to swim ashore from fish boat
when it was swamped In a heavy sea
and sudden squall.
The crew of the boat was composed
of T. Ira Adams, helmsman and cap.
tain in charge; Joe L. Goulding, own,
er of the boat; Jerry Powell, Leon
Powell and Wilton Carroll. They
were fishing for the Punta Gorda Fish
Company and were coming to camp
with q load of mullet, being between
Captiva and Captiva Pass when they
were struck by a rain sQuall the
waves rolling over the stern of the
boat and quickly sinking it.
The men were not plunged into the
on the lid of the engine box Gould
ing was the only one who could not
swim. He says that all could have
been saved, if they had remained on
the box lid, which is some eight feet
in diameter; but, after standing
there for about an hour, his four
companions became impatient and set
out to swim ashore, which was less
than a mile distant. In a short while,
they disappeared in the rain from his
sight. Then he released the boX-lid
from the sunken boat and managed
TO get ashore on it. AS the fish float
ed from the boat, a number of sharks
came up and began devouring them,
but did not show any disposition to
molest him.
On leaving the boat, Adams shook
hands with Goulding and said:
Goodbye, Joe! If l get out I'll tell
your wife that you died like a man"
Before the men started to swim
out, all except Jerry Powell took off
their oil-skin coats. Jerry said that
he was not going to lose his coat,
and he kept both it and all his other
clothing on. Although thus weighted
down, he did a wonderful feat of
swimming. He not only got ashore,
but after reaching it, he swan across
three passes in succession and finally
succeeded in getting to the fishing
camp of Elvin Powell and Bertram
McCann, near Captiva, where he Sc
cured boat and returned TO the
wreck. Arriving at the scene, he
found no one of the men, and he con-
cluded that all had been drowned;
but, after cruising about for a time,
he found and picked up his brother
Leon and Joe Goulding. Adams and
Carroll could not be found, and it was
decided that they had been drowned.
I'y this time, night had come on, and
they waited till Friday morning,
when they went to the sunken boat,
which they raised without difficulty.
They spent the day in a fruitless
for the bodies of the two lost
men, and then came on hither that
night and reported the disaster which
had befallen them.
The legs of Goulding and Leon
Powell were severely burned by raw
gasOlene arising from the submerged
boat and running up the legs Of their
trousers. The formers injury was
so severe and painful that he went
% Arcadia, Saturday, to have it treat
ID by an expert.
As the tide was going out when
he disaster occurred, it is feared that
he bodies Of the two men may have
been carried out to sea and may new
,r be found Both men were well
lnown here. Adams leaves wife
md two fine sons, Alfred and Roy,
o mourn his loss. He was about
fifty years old; had served as town
marshal for year, and was blessed
With many friends, who deeply de-
,lore his loss.
Carroll was about eighteen years
Id. His untimely death is a sad
low to his father and mother, two
isters and two brothers. They live I
N the F. NJ. Cooper farm south OF ]
own and are highly esteemed. They 4,
nd the bereaved wife and sons OF {
ra Adams have the sincere sympathy
( the whole community. 3,
A f1otilla of boats belonging to rhe |
'unta Gorda Fish Company and con- I
listing of the auxiliary yacht Harris ]
Irothers and several gasoline laun- |
hes, left here early Saturday morn :
1g for Captiva Pass and nearby wat I
RS to search for the bodies of Adams /
nd Carroll, but returned Sunday {
light from a two days search with {
ut finding a trace of the men, who
re given up as lost.