Search continues for missing boater ; Second man also died in sailboat accident [Capital (Annapolis, MD)]

Natural Resources Police continued this morning to search for the body of a 25-year-old man presumed dead after a Dec. 17 sailboat accident near the Sandy Point Light.

But Sgt. Art Windemuth, a spokesman for the NRP, said the department last week called off its organized search for Tyler Cordrey, of Eden in Somerset County. Now, officers in boats and helicopters are only doing visual scans for his body as part of routine patrols.

"We will continue to search until he is located," Windemuth said.

In addition to Cordrey, Daniel Denike, 46, of Laurel, died in the 2:45 p.m. sailboat accident, police said. Cordrey's dog, Roscoe, also is presumed dead.

A third person aboard, Taylor Rogers, 25, of Salisbury, survived. She was taken to Anne Arundel Medical Center, where she was treated for hypothermia and released.

According to police, Denike, Rogers and Cordrey - all of whom investigators believe were wearing life jackets - were on Denike's 18-foot Precision sailboat when a strong gust of wind hit the area. Rogers told police the sail was accidentally tightened when the gust hit, causing the craft to capsize. They had meant to loosen the sail, police said.

It is unclear why the sailboat sunk. Windemuth said they won't know until the boat has been salvaged and that won't happen until the insurance is sorted out.

With the help of side-scan sonar, police have located the vessel in 40 feet of water.

Emergency personnel received two reports about the boat accident.

At about 2:45 a.m. the U.S. Coast Guard received a VHF radio call regarding a capsized vessel from one of the men on the boat. Minutes later, Rogers used her cellphone to call 911.

Both calls ended before a location was given.

The Coast Guard was able to determine a general location for the radio call, but it still took about an hour for rescuers to find Rogers and Denike.

Like Rogers, Denike was taken to Anne Arundel Medical Center, where he died.

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