THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Thursday, January 16, 1997            TAG: 9701160318
SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B4   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: COROLLA, N.C.                     LENGTH:   46 lines

BOATER STILL MISSING; SEARCH TO RESUME AFTER STORM PASSES

The search for a missing Chesapeake hunter was temporarily called off today because of anticipated bad weather, but volunteers are expected to return Friday.

Philip Boedker, 51, has been missing since last Saturday, when a duck hunting trip turned to tragedy. Three people - including two small boys - died in the accident when their 17-foot boat went down in the icy waters of Currituck Sound. One man, 29-year-old Michael LaBounty Sr. of Moyock, survived despite spending 14 hours in 40-degree waters.

Currituck County Emergency Operations Director Donnie Beacham said late Wednesday that because of an approaching storm front, rescue efforts would be postponed.

``We're going to stand down Thursday because of the weather,'' Beacham said. ``We're going to use the day to rest and to do some planning as to what course we're going to take Friday and Saturday.''

Meanwhile, the search for the missing man widened Wednesday as a team of deputies from the Chesapeake Sheriff's Office combed almost six miles of shoreline along Whalehead Bay.

The deputies found a grass-covered adult-sized glove and two duck decoy heads. LaBounty told investigators he removed heads from some decoys to guide searchers looking for 6-year-old John Sidney Melson. John, 10; his father, John Milton Melson, 33, of Coinjock; and LaBounty's son, Michael LaBounty Jr., 8, perished in the accident.

The Chesapeake officers joined rescue teams from Currituck County Fire and Rescue, Dare County, and North Carolina Wildlife Resources, and aerial teams from the Civil Air Patrol, the Navy and the Coast Guard.

The Civil Air Patrol, in cooperation with Dare County Emergency Operations Director Sandy Sanderson, used a digital camera system, which provided search teams on the ground with aerial photos of the search area.

For a second day, divers from the Chesapeake Police Department probed the murky, near-freezing waters near where the boat went down.

Boats from the North Carolina Marine Police and the North Carolina Marine Fisheries, as well as commercial watermen, dragged the sandy bottom looking for the veteran outdoorsman.

The Salvation Army provided hot beef stew, drinks and cookies for the search teams.

KEYWORDS: ACCIDENT BOAT DROWNING HUNTING ACCIDENT NORTH

CAROLINA