2 Morris boaters remain missing

Search to resume today; difficult conditions had delayed dive operations

DAILY RECORD STAFF REPORT • APRIL 7, 2008

The search for Timothy Panella, 57, of Mendham Township and Richard Skoland, 62, of Chester continued on Sunday with no major developments as of Sunday evening.

The two men, who are feared to be dead, have been missing since Thursday afternoon when the 12-foot boat they were fishing in flipped over as the men tried to free an anchor stuck on the river floor.

A third man, Ronald Priest, 58, of Washington Township was in the boat with them and was able to swim ashore, flag down a passing motorist and ask for help.

All three men were close friends and avid outdoorsmen who grew up in Mendham and graduated from West Morris Regional High School in Washington Township, now West Morris Central High School, a relative said on Saturday.

The men fished that section of the Delaware about a dozen times a year for the past two decades, the relative said.

The search effort Sunday involved 15 personnel in seven boats, a New Jersey State Police helicopter, a tracking dog and its handler and a number of agencies, including the National Park Service, the New Jersey State Police Marine Services Unit and the Pennsylvania Game Commission, according to a Sunday news release from the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

Rescue officials searched a 24-mile stretch of the Delaware River starting at 8 a.m. and planned to continue until dark, or about 8 p.m.

The search for Panella and Skoland was expected to resume Monday, the news release said.

"National Park Service divers are prepared to carry out an underwater search as soon as river conditions permit," the news release said. "The high water level, fast current and lack of visibility have prevented safe dive operations."

Panella's last name was previously reported by authorities as "Pannella," which is incorrect.

After fishing for a couple of hours in one spot just south of the Dingmans Choice Bridge on Thursday afternoon, the three men had decided to move to another location, but the boat's anchor snagged on the river bottom. As the men tried to free the anchor, the boat tipped over.

It was recovered on Thursday evening about four miles downriver from Dingmans Access, where the men launched, a park official said.