Posted on 06/11/2006 3:24:51 AM PDT by lunarbicep
Rescue crews searched the Chesapeake Bay for a prominent publisher and diplomat after his sailboat was discovered empty in the water, the executive editor of The (Annapolis) Capital said Sunday.
Philip Merrill's boat was found around 7 p.m. Saturday, authorities said. Merrill was still missing early Sunday, said Tom Marquardt of The Capital, which is part of Merrill's publishing company.
The 72-year-old publisher had been sailing alone on a breezy day, Marquardt said in a telephone interview. He said he did not know what happened to him.
"I'd have to speculate," Marquardt said. "There's just too many things that can go wrong,"
Ken Turner, a spokesman for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources police, said Saturday night that two boaters found Merrill's unoccupied 41-foot sailboat. Merrill, of Arnold, went sailing around 2 p.m. Saturday, Turner said.
The U.S. Coast Guard and the Calvert County Volunteer Fire Department assisted in the search Saturday night. State police conducted an aerial search with a helicopter but suspended it late in the evening.
Merrill has had a broad career in public and private service.
In December 2002, he was sworn in by Vice President Dick Cheney as president and chairman of the Export-Import Bank of the United States. He stepped down when his term expired in July 2005.
Before that, Merrill was chairman of the board of the Annapolis-based Capital-Gazette Communications, Inc., which publishes The Washingtonian magazine, The Capital and four other Maryland newspapers.
He served as assistant secretary-general of NATO in Brussels from 1990 to 1992. Between 1983 to 1990, he served on the Department of Defense Policy Board. From 1981 to 1983, he was counselor to the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy. In 1988, the Secretary of Defense awarded him the Medal for Distinguished Service, the highest civilian honor given by the department.
Merrill has represented the United States in negotiations on the Law of the Sea Conference, the International Telecommunications Union and various disarmament and exchange agreements with the former Soviet Union. He is a former special assistant to the Deputy Secretary of State and has worked in the White House on national security affairs.
The college of journalism at the University of Maryland is named for him.
Merrill graduated from Cornell University and the Harvard Business School's Program for Management Development.
Don't know what the winds were like on the Bay yesterday but it was more than blustery here in Northern Virgina.
Virginia.
Darn.
I was going to say there is enough stuff in that article for more than one conspiracy theory.
It is not unusual to find drowning victims with their fly open in the bay. Stand on the gunwale to relieve themself, and lose their balance. Boat drifts away, and they drown after exhausting themselves from trying to catch the drifting boat.
fishes.wav(76K)
he sleeps with the fish
A spook?
It blew like hell yesterday.
Not a good day to be alone on a sailboat.
Give him 5 days , he will pop up.
Along with wearing a secured safety harness, trailing a long line made of material that floats can save your life.
bump
Nah, he'd have been in a canoe.
da...da.....dada...ddadadadadaddadadadadaddadaddadad...
One person handling a 41-footer by himself? Granted that his boat had all kinds of electronic cockpit thingies to take care of the main and jib and whatever, but that is still a big boat for one person -- especially if he's not a jock in his prime. The Chesapeake in wind can be tricky. Just one swing of the boom and you can be in trouble.
Very windy day in Annapolis. I would not have wanted to be single handing a 41 footer in the winds that prevailed most of the day. The wind did die down, but no until after 6:00 or so.
White caps all day. Great day for a sail!
The gift was finalized just before Merrill was sworn in as president and chairman of the Export Import Bank of the United States. It was the eighth time he has taken the oath of office, including as a private in the U.S. Army.
"Each time, I have felt the same mixture of inspiration, dedication, determination and appreciation for everything this country has done for me, for my family, and for the cause of freedom and free institutions," Merrill said when he was sworn in by Vice President Dick Cheney in December. Cheney said that Merrill "has had a distinguished and successful business career as well as holding a number of vital assignments for the White House and Department of Defense." George W. Bush is the seventh U.S. president under whom he has served.
As he accepted the federal appointment, Merrill stepped down as chairman of Capital Gazette Communications Inc., which publishes Washingtonian magazine, the Annapolis Capital and four other Maryland newspapers.
His career in public service has included assignments as assistant secretary general of NATO, special assistant to the deputy secretary of state, member of the Department of Defense Policy Board, and a U.S. representative in international negotiations ranging from disarmament to telecommunications. The Export Import Bank is an independent government agency that helps U.S. companies compete abroad, financing the sale of U.S. exports throughout the world by providing loans, guarantees and insurance.
Local news this morning said the search was called off last night.
Private in the Army, eh?
Don't know why but that fascinates me the most. Probably drafted in the fifties. Wonder what he did?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/12/AR2006061200429_2.html
Link to WashPost article on the 13th with update.
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