Pilot Boat Captain fell overboard in a witnessed event. Body was never found; court declared him dead. Search and rescue coordinators at Coast Guard Sector</br>Field Office Atlantic City were contacted at about 11 p. m. Sunday and notified that Deibert fell into the water while attempting to board the motor vessel</br>Energy Enterprise, a 645-foot U. S. -flagged freight ship bound for Baltimore. It was reported that Deibert was transferring from the pilot vessel Big Stone 5</br>to the freight ship when he fell from the freight ship's ladder and into the water, reportedly 39 degrees Fahrenheit. The Coast Guard directed the launch of</br>search crews aboard an HH-65C Dolphin rescue helicopter from Air Station Atlantic City, a 47-foot rescue boat and a 41-foot rescue boat from Station Cape</br>May, N. J. , and a 41-foot rescue boat from Station Indian River, Del. The Coast Guard Cutter Dependable, underway on a separate mission, was diverted to</br>search the area. At first light this morning, the Coast Guard directed the launch of another Air Station Atlantic City crew for whatwould be the third</br>helicopter sortie. An Air Station Elizabeth City,N. C. , HC-130 Hercules long-range aircraft was also directed to launch this morning. Following the early-morning</br>helicopter search, the crews aboard the HC-130 Hercules aircraft and the Cutter Dependable searched until about 2:20 p. m. In all, Coast Guard crews</br>conducted 13 search sorties over a period of more than 14 hours in their search for Deibert. It was reported that Deibert was wearing a personal flotation</br>device when he entered the water. Witnesses to the accident reportedly threw three life rings into the water. On-scene weather at the time of accident was</br>reported as 20-25 knot winds, 6-foot seas and clear visibility. The Big Stone 5 is enroute Lewes, Del. , for further examination at a dock. The Energy</br>Enterprise continued enroute Baltimore and is scheduled to be met by investigators from Coast Guard Sector Baltimore for inspection and crew interviews. </br>The cause of the accident is under investigation by Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay in Philadelphia.
