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PARAGON · #52 03-23-2005, 12:34 AM

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Two
Bodies Recovered After Assateague Accident 


Shawn J. Soper, Staff Writer

ASSATEAGUE ISLAND (02/11/2005)
- Questions remain this week after an off-road joy ride on Assateague Island
last Saturday night turned tragic when a SUV overturned in the surf in the
National Park and ultimately claimed the lives of its two young occupants.
Around daybreak last Sunday morning, surfers on Assateague
found the body of Adam Starky, 25, of Cockeysville, Md. just a few feet from his
severely damaged 2004 Hummer, which was lying on its side half-submerged in the
surf. This discovery answered at least some of the questions from a bizarre
sequence of events from the night before, but did not tell the whole story.
A little more than 24 hours later, a State Park Ranger
found the body of Starky’s passenger, Jennifer Holly Ashe, 24, also of
Cockeysville on Assateague about one-half mile south of the Ocean City Inlet and
roughly five miles north of the Hummer accident scene. Investigators are still
trying to piece together the details of the accident and determine how and why
Ashe’s body was discovered several miles away from the accident scene.
Investigators believe the strength of the ocean currents at
high tide in the area of the crash scene could have moved Ashe’s body out to sea
and up the beach toward Ocean City where it was found on Monday morning. 
“The ocean currents are extremely strong in that area and
could have done any number of things to the victims,” said Assateague National
Parks Chief of Visitor Services Robert Fudge. “While we may never be certain,
it’s highly possible the woman victim’s body could have been carried out to sea
by those strong currents.”
The vehicle was found east of the dune line in the path of
the oncoming tide with its roof partially caved in and the doors buckling
outward. Throughout the night Saturday, it was in the path of the changing tide
and was likely completely submerged at high tide. 
“The Hummer was found partially submerged and full of water
and sand when it was discovered early Sunday morning, but it would have been
significantly submerged during high tide,” said Fudge.
According to Fudge, the wide, flat stretch of beach is
often completely underwater at high tide, which is why searchers may not have
been able to locate the distressed vehicle the night before, although the
preliminary search focused on the designated off-road vehicle zone and not the
area where the Hummer was ultimately found. “It would have been detectable, but
it was very likely under a lot of water,” said Fudge.
Around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, the vehicle-equipped OnStar
system received a distress call from a vehicle determined to be Starky’s 2004
Hummer and the satellite locating system loosely located the vehicle somewhere
on Assateague Island. OnStar contacted the Worcester County Sheriff’s
Department, which, in turn, notified the National Parks Service Rangers about a
potential vehicle in distress.
Investigators are still trying to determine if either of
the victims placed the emergency call to OnStar. The motorist emergency service
system is automatically notified if an air bag is deployed on an equipped
vehicle, but that service is not typically available on recreational
vehicles.
Park Rangers immediately initiated a ground search of the
island’s entire 12-mile designated off-road vehicle zone. However, they were
unable to locate the source of the distress call reported by OnStar, and the
search was ultimately called off after several hours. Surfers found the wrecked
Hummer and the body of its driver early the next morning about two miles north
of the Sinepuxent Ranger Station and the entrance to the designated off-road
vehicle zone.
A multi-agency search and rescue operation was initiated
during which National Parks Service personnel were joined by the U.S. Coast
Guard, the County Sheriff’s Department, Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Police, State Park Rangers, Maryland State Police and the Berlin Volunteer Fire
Department.
A Coast Guard rescue boat from Ocean City, a Coast Guard
helicopter from Atlantic City and a Maryland Natural Resources Police helicopter
searched the waters near the accident scene throughout the day on Sunday because
it was uncertain at the time how many victims were involved. Coast Guard
Lieutenant Junior Grade Christopher Lucero said that due to the “level of
uncertainty,” mainly from the OnStar call, the Coast Guard and other agencies
carried out a long search before calling it off late Sunday evening.
As each hour passed, the possibility of finding any
survivors in the frigid waters became more and more remote. Lucero said with
water temperatures in the low 40s, any victims would likely have about an hour
and a half to survive. 
“We carried out an aggressive search of the area for
survivors, but unfortunately we found no one at the time,” he said.
As of late Sunday afternoon, investigators had a wrecked
vehicle and a male victim, but they were still uncertain if any other victims
were involved. However, a missing persons report filed in Baltimore County late
Sunday night for a woman believed to be a friend of Starky’s who had accompanied
him on a trip to the Eastern Shore to go four-wheeling. The grim discovery of
Ashe’s body early the next day confirmed her family’s worst fears.</Table>