Two sailors die when boat capsizes during Mackinac Race

Two crew members died Monday after their sailboat capsized in strong winds during the Chicago Yacht Club's Race to Mackinac — the oldest annual freshwater boat race in the world.

The bodies pulled from northern Lake Michigan this morning were identified as Mark Morley, 51, the skipper of the sailboat, and Suzanne Bickel, 41, the Chicago Tribune reports. Both were experienced sailors from Saginaw, Mich.

The six other crew members aboard 35-foot WingNuts, which flipped just after midnight about 13 nautical miles northwest of Charlevoix, Mich., were rescued by the crew of a competing boat, the Sociable. The survivors, which included two teenagers, were taken to a nearby U.S. Coast Guard station for observation.

After an extensive search, a Charlevoix County dive team recovered Morley's and Bickel's bodies eight hours later. It's reportedly the first time anyone has drowned during the 333-mile race, which starts at Chicago's Navy Pier and finishes off of Mackinac Island in Michigan.

WingNuts overturned when thunderstorms moved through the area overnight, creating wind gusts of 52 knots and 4- to 6-foot waves, according to a statement from the Chicago Yacht Club. The eight-member crew had lowered the sails in preparation, but the wind caught one of the hulls and flipped it over.

All of them were reportedly wearing safety harnesses that secured them to the boat — a precaution that keeps sailors from falling overboard during rough seas, but can become a hazard when a boat capsizes.

"My heart sank," Aimee Purcell, the wife of one of the surviving sailors, told the Chicago Tribune upon hearing the news of the 2 deaths. "The four owners of the boat have been friends since birth. They have sailed together since they were tots."

Storms are common on Lake Michigan and many boats continue to race, according to the Chicago Yacht Club's website. In 1970, only half of the 167 participating yachts completed the Mackinac Race after northerly winds grew to 60 miles per hour. In 1937, only 8 of the 42 competing boats finished because of high winds.