Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-27
5Die, Saved
In Boat Wreck
On Potomac
One of Victims
Had Plunned to
Marry Friday

Five persons, including an 18-
year-old Washington bride-to.
be, drowned yesterday when thu
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, 10
Iof 708 Longfellow street NV.
and Barbara Ann Russell. 10, o.
River Springs, Nd, were rescued
latter a narrowing 80 minutes II
1.-THE cold. choppy water near thu
mouth Of the Wicomico Rive
lin Southern Maryland.
The victims:
Faye Rountree, Of 704 Long
fellow street NV, who was Il
have been married this week.
Glenda Stafford, is, Of Rive
Springs.
Kay Stafford, 10. her sister
Ialso Of River Springs. Both arr
lnieces of Miss Rountree.
Russell Walling. Colonia
Beach, Va.
Peyton C. Wodzell. Of War.
trenton. Va a partner In thu
blue Ridge Hardware Co.
First Reported Grounded
First reports said the speed.
boat grounded on sand bar ane
Ifiipped over, but the Charles
County sheriff's office said tina
the rough water and speed o.
the 22-foot boat apparentl,
ripped out the bottom.
Miss Knight was picked up b!
la Maryland Tidewater Fisherie'
Commission boat and Miss Rus
sell was rescued by a rowboa'
near the scene.
! Miss knight, brought to he
home here after hospital treat
Iment for shock and exposure
said q high wave swamped thu
speeding craft.
Wave Breaks Over Boat
I'VE were coming back from
Cobb Island" she said. "Wodzel
started hitting the waves so the!
would splash over us. Everybod!
got wet, but we were all laugh
ing about it.
Suddenly a big wave brok'
over the boat and flooded thu
stern. It started to go dowr
and we all crowded up into th'
bow. Wodzell was blowing th'
horn.
"All at once the boat jus
went under and we were In tn
water.
/ II looked for a life preserves
lbut couldn't find one. Wodzel
and I grabbed for a floating
cushion. I asked him about oul
chances of being picked up ant
Inc said they were slight because
few boats would be out In sucf
rough water.
i Cushion Slips Away
"All Of q sudden the cushion
slipped away. It came up Is o.
I20 feet away and ! swan for it
When / looked back Wodzel
WAS gone.
i II saw Faye Rountree) abou
20 yards away and started u
paddle toward her and then sh,
went down."
l Miss knight said she. the tws
stafford girls and Miss Roun'
tree were In a restaurant ownee
Iby the Stafford girls father a
River Springs, when Miss Rus
sell. Mr.. Wodzeil and Mr.. Wallini
came In. Later they we're asked
to take the ride In Mr.. Wodzell'l
Iboat.
Was Roosevelt Student
Miss Rountree. Q senior q
Roosevelt High School here. wa
1.-The daughter Of Mr.. and Mrs
George M. Rountree Of tn
ILongfellow street address. Tit
1.-TWO Stafford girls were thu
granddaughter of Mrs. Roun'
tree. Their mother, Mrs. Mil
Idred Stafford, Is a sister Of Fay
Rountree.
Besides Mrs. Stafford and he,
parents, Faye is survived by fou
Iother sisters. Mrs. Norman Fry
Of Washington. Mrs. Dougla
Carver of Quantico, Va; Mrs
1T. E. Evans Of Silver Spring
md, and Mrs. r. c. Register o
Rentz, Ga, and two brothers
Jack Rountree Of Washington
and George Rountree Of Sea
Pleasant. Md.
i Miss Rountree was born II
IRentz, but had lived In thi
area for IL years.
! Her family said she was Il
Ihave been married Friday Il
Paul Lynch of Silver Spring.
sailor stationed at the Balm
bridge (MdJ Naval Station.
Miss knight Is a senior al
IBurdick Vocational School ant
mnrks mart time for an attorney