Men Survive 13 Hours on Raft in Pacific : Freighter Rescues 2 Pilots From Sea

SAN FRANCISCO —  A merchant ship early today rescued two men who spent about 13 hours bobbing in a life raft after their light plane ran out of fuel and ditched in the Pacific on a flight from Honolulu to California.

The motor vessel Evergood took Alden Badenhop, 31, and co-pilot Jim Yoegar, 26, both of Honolulu, aboard at 5:25 a.m. about 500 miles south-southwest of San Francisco, the Coast Guard reported.

The Coast Guard said the men were reported in good condition and medical personnel would check them thoroughly upon the ship’s arrival in Los Angeles.

The raft was spotted earlier by a Coast Guard C-130 which illuminated the area with flares.

The men “had given a good fix by radio before they put out a mayday,” said Coast Guard Lt.(j.g.) Jay Bergman.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Wayne Winner said he didn’t know if the Piper Aztec, which developed a fuel leak while being ferried to Oakland, was still afloat.

“It was pretty dark out there,” said Winner, who described the seas as calm.

The plane was en route from Honolulu to Oakland to be delivered to a San Francisco owner, according to a Honolulu spokeswoman for Flight Contract Services Inc., a company that delivers airplanes.

She said that both men were well versed in ocean survival and that the plane was equipped with a five-man raft, flares, signaling mirrors and other survival gear.