Staff report
A fishing trip off the N.C. Coast turned tragic with a Faith man surviving an overturned boat while his friend, a former Rowan County resident, was lost at sea.
Lonnie Brown has returned home to Faith. He was rescued Saturday morning after clinging to the overturned vessel for almost 12 hours.
Brown’s friend and fishing companion, Steve Kluttz, apparently did not survive.
The Coast Guard searched the area Saturday but suspended the search.
Around 7 a.m. Saturday morning, the crew of another boat spotted Brown atop the capsized boat. They took him to the Coast Guard Station at Fort Macon. From there, he was transported to Carteret General Hospital in Moorhead City.
A published report quoted a search and rescue watchstander saying that Brown suffered fatigue due to exposure.
Kluttz is reported to be a former Rowan County resident who split time between Wilmington and Harker’s Island.
Both men are longtime commercial fishermen with extensive experience on the ocean.
According to published reports, crews from Coast Guard stations at Fort Macon and Elizabeth City searched for Kluttz using boats and a helicopter for six hours Saturday but were unsuccessful.
Police, Cape Lookout Park Services and the N.C. Wildlife Commission also searched the area.