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http://www.omniture.com --> Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Advertisement Email Story to a Friend May 11, 2006 Drowned couple were avid anglers By ANITA BURKE Mail Tribune Mike and Beverly Banz, the Eagle Point couple who died Tuesday when their boat capsized near Coos Bay, were fishing buddies with many of his co-workers at the U.S. Post Office distribution center on Sage Road in Medford, including a postal retiree, Larry Jones, who died with them. "I can't tell you how many of us went out fishing with Bev and Mike," said Randall Sparks, who worked with Mike Banz and Jones. Mike Banz, 42, was a Navy veteran who served in the first Gulf War, and Jones, 62, was a Vietnam veteran who had piloted boats during that conflict, Sparks said. He estimated that the Banzes had owned the 17-foot Bayliner that capsized for a year or so. They'd taken the boat to Coos Bay for the weekend to visit Jones and his wife, Cathy, who had been staying in a recreational vehicle park in Coos Bay for the past few months, Sparks said. Friday they paid for three days' moorage at the Charleston Marina, said Martin Callery, director of communications and freight mobility for the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay, which operates the sports marina. Monday they paid for an additional day so they could stay and fish after harsh weather had prevented weekend outings, he said. "Even if there are no restrictions, you have to know your craft and its limitations," Callery said. "Smaller boats sometimes don't make the right decision." Tuesday morning the bar was unrestricted and boats were moving out of port, said Coast Guard spokesman Lt. Justin Denton. The sea had eight- to 10-foot swells and the wind was 15 knots, Denton said. The water temperature was about 52 degrees. "You need to use good boating safety and common sense," Denton said. He reminded people to wear life jackets, especially when crossing a bar. As the Banzes' boat turned south past Bastendorff Beach, it was struck by two waves and was capsized by the second one, according to a witness who called 9-1-1 at about 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, Denton said. The Coast Guard sent a 47-foot lifeboat and a truck from Coos Bay and a helicopter from North Bend to the scene within minutes, he said. In a recovery effort that took about an hour, the Coast Guard retrieved the bodies of a man and woman who washed to shore and the body of a second man in the surf about 100 feet from shore. The Coos County Sheriff's Department marine unit is investigating the accident and working with the county's medical examiner to ascertain the cause of death, Sgt. Rod Summers said. Results on both fronts are expected by the end of the week, he said. With clear weather, no surf advisory and "no nasty winds," Tuesday should have been a fine morning on the ocean, Summers said, stressing the importance of life jackets. "I would have been out if I had customers," said Bill Whitmer, owner of Betty Kay Charters in Charleston. He said limitations on rockfishing, not the weather, kept him in port Tuesday. With 25 years of experience, he'd taken his 50-foot charter boat out for a fishing party on Monday when seas were higher. "There's no reason they shouldn't have been out there," he said. "It was fairly decent weather. They just made mistakes." Wednesday friends and coworkers awaited word on funeral services planned by family members living out of state. "We are just at a loss," Sparks said. At Providence Medford Medical Center, Beverly Banz, 43, was scheduled to get a pin Wednesday for five years of service, said her supervisor, Susan Cresswell, director of quality resources. Banz had become a registered nurse later in life after working as a certified nursing assistant and licensed practical nurse, Cresswell said. After an injury, she took a light-duty assignment as a quality analyst at the hospital and had excelled at the new work. "Beverly was great," Cresswell said. "She had many friends in the different departments she had worked in and we sure are going to miss her." Reach reporter Anita Burke at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] . Advertisement s Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker Custom Build Computers Discount Hotel Reservations online casinos news Ashley Furniture HomeStore Send Flowers Southern Oregon Loans California Casinos GMAT Prep Windermere Van Vleet Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Online Casino Fundraisers Sudoku Online Casinos Canada Online Pharmacy