Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-27
Boat Wreck Kills 5,
One a Future Bride
Bottom Ripped
Off Craft Near
Cobb Island, Nd.

Five persons. including an 49,
year-old Washington bride-to-
be, drowned yesterday when the
wind-whipped water Of the Po-
tomac River tore the bottom OF
a speeding boat near Cobb Is
land, Md, about so miles south
of Washington.
Two others. Linda Knight. Is.
of 708 Longfellow street NV.
and Barbara Ann Russell. 10. Of
River Springs. Md, were rescued
after a narrowing 80 minutes In
the cold. choppy water near the
mouth of the Wicomico River
in Southern Maryland.
The victims:
Faye Rountree, Of 704 Long,
fellow street NV. who was to
have been married this week,
Glenda Stafford, Is, of River
Springs.
Kay Stafford. 16. her sister.
also Of River Springs. Both are
lnieces Of Miss Rountree.
Russell Walling, Colonial
Beach, Va.
Peyton C. Wodzell. of War
renton. Va, a partner in the
Blue Ridge Hardware Co.
First Reported Grounded
First reports said the speed
boat grounded on a sand bar and
tipped over, but the Charles
County sheriff's Office said that
the rough water and speed Of
the 22-foot boat apparently
ripped out the bottom.
/ Miss Knight was picked UP by
a Maryland Tidewater Fisheries
Commission boat and Miss Rus
sell was rescued by a rowboat
near the scene.
| Miss Knight, brought to her
home here after hospital treat
ment for shock and exposure.
said high wave swamped the
speeding craft.
/ Wave Breaks Over Boat
I'VE were coming back from
Cobb Island" she said. "Wodzell
started hitting the waves so they
would splash over us. Everybody
got wet, but we were all laugh
ling about 1t.
i Suddenly a big wave broke
over the boat and flooded the
stern. 1t started to go down
and we all crowded up into the
bow. Wodzell was blowing the
horn.
"All at once the boat just
went under and we were in the
water.
i II looked for a life preserver
but couldn't find one. Wodzeil
and I grabbed for a floating
cushion. asked him about our
chances of being picked up and
Inc said they were slight because
few boats would be out in such
trough water.
Cushion Slips Away
"All of a sudden the cushion
slipped away. It came UP is or
100 feet away and ! swan for it.
When I looked back Wodzell
was gone.
II saw Faye tRountree) about
10 yards away and started to
paddle toward her and then she
went down."
Miss Knight said she, the two
Stafford girls and Miss Roun-
tree were in restaurant owned
by the Stafford girls father at
River Springs, when Miss Rus
sell, Mr. Wodzell and Mr.. Walling
came in. Later they were asked
to take the ride in Mr.. Wodzell's
boat.
Was Roosevelt Student
Miss Rountree, a senior at
Roosevelt High School here, was
the daughter of MIR. and Mrs.
George M. Rountree Of the
Longfellow street address. The
two Stafford girls were the
granddaughter of Mrs. Roun-
tree. Their mother, Mrs. Mil
ldred Stafford. is sister of Faye
Rountree.
| Besides Mrs. Stafford and her
parents, Faye is survived by four
other sisters, Mrs. Norman Frye
of Washington, Mrs. Douglas
Carver of Quantico, Va: Mrs.
IT. E. Evans of Silver Spring,
Md, and Mrs. r. c. Register Of
Rentz. Ga. and two brothers.
Jack Rountree of Washington
and George Rountree of Seat
Pleasant, Md.
Miss RounJree was born in
Rentz. but had lived in. this
area for IL years.
Her family said she was to
have been married Friday to
Paul Lynch of Silver Spring, a
sailor stationed at the Balm
bridge (Md.) Naval Station.
Miss Knight is a senior at
IBurdick Vocational School and
works part time for an attorney.