Gladstone man dies when boat capsizes

ESCANABA - Changing weather conditions are said to have contributed to the capsizing of a boat in Little Bay de Noc late Monday when one person died and two others survived the ordeal.

Glenn Godfrey, 43, of Gladstone, was pronounced dead at the scene after his body was located in a couple feet of water between the mouth of the Escanaba River and the ore dock, said Delta County Undersheriff Ed Oswald this morning.

Godfrey is said to have been fishing in a 14-foot aluminum boat with Dale Bricker, 34, of Gladstone, and Kyle Eaton, 26, of Wells, when the boat capsized in Little Bay de Noc near the river mouth, Oswald said.

Bricker called in the emergency after he swam to the North Shore boat launch, then drove to Eaton's house to use the telephone there to call 9-1-1. The sheriff's department, Escanaba Public Safety and U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary responded to the 10:20 p.m. call reporting an overturned boat with three people.

"It got pretty rough out there in a short time," Oswald said about the weather conditions. "The waves were about two to three feet... A storm front came through and picked up the waves."

Two sheriff's boats and one Coast Guard vessel, including two public safety officers and a fisherman experienced with the area, searched for the two lost boaters. Besides the waves and the darkness, the search party also had to deal with dock pilings in that area.

Shortly after launching the emergency boats in three directions, officials located Godfrey's body. He was later pronounced dead at the scene. Cause of death has not been determined, said Oswald.

Officials continued to search for Eaton.

"We heard Kyle yelling and that's what drew us to him," Oswald said. "He had tied himself to the boat. That was a good thing to do because it's easier to locate a boat than it is a person. He also had a bright PFD (personal flotation device) on that helped us see him."

Eaton was transported by the sheriff's boat to the city marina. He was taken to OSF St. Francis Hospital by Rampart Ambulance. Eaton was treated and later released, a hospital spokesperson said this morning.

The boat was later recovered.