Former “Father of the Year” Dies in Boating Accident

A fishing trip gone horribly wrong
leaves two dead and four others hospitalized. One of the deceased is the 89-year-old
2006 winner of the Arizona Father of the Year contest. An honor bestowed on him
by the Arizona Game and Fish Department and ESPN Radio for his dedication in passing
on his love of the great outdoors to his children.

The overturned bass boat is pulled from the frigid waters of the Chesapeake after the tragic accident.

Anatomy of a Disaster



Unfortunately, the pieces aren’t hard to put together. The day called for six men
from Arizona to spend the day fishing on the Chesapeake. They trailered their aluminum
18’ bass boat to the shore and launched into their adventure. The factors surrounding
the event are…



• An 18’ aluminum bass boat has minimum freeboard when empty. Fill it to capacity
with six grown men, gear, and fuel and that freeboard decreases. Even the smallest
waves will likely ship aboard.



• National weather service reports the day’s air and water temperature at 46 degrees 


• Small craft advisories were in effect with winds at 20-25 mph.



• Petty Officer Kip Wadlow, a Coast Guard spokesman, reported that seas were 5 feet
at the time.



• None of the men were wearing life jackets.



• The call to the Coast Guard came in shortly before 9am.



89-year-old veterinarian, former University of Arizona pathologist, and father of
the year recipient Ned Rokey and 69-year-old Allen Dedrick died from complications
related to hypothermia. The four other boaters, one of them Rokey’s son Ric, were
rescued, and of those four, two are listed in good condition, one fair, and one
critical.


A Life Celebrated




While the lessons of this accident are blatant, the real tragedy is the loss of
the two men, one of whom much is known. Ned Rokey, of Mesa Ariz. was a dedicated
family man that did much to bring a love of the outdoors to his children, Ric and
Ray. He was nominated for the Father of the Year award by his son Ric and after
winning, he was awarded a dream fishing vacation aboard a 59-foot luxury houseboat
at picturesque Lake Powell.



“I recall once when we forgot to put in a frying pan, pop showed us how to cook
bacon and eggs on a shovel head placed on the coals of a fire. We were taught to
clean up our campsite, extinguish the fire, and even to leave kindling for the next
person.”