Two men who overturned their rowboat into the icy waters of Holmes Harbor Friday night are alive today after being rescued by two Freeland residents paddling a canoe and a windsurfing board.

It was about 9 p.m. when Richard Freels, 40, of Greenbank, and Eric Woodmansee, 31, Bellingham, rowed out from Nichols Brothers Boat Builders into the harbor. According to Russ Lindner, chief of investigations for the Island County Sheriff’s Office, Freels and Woodmansee had gone out in the 12-foot aluminum boat in hopes of watching the new Los Angeles fireboat launch from Nichols Brothers.

According to Matt Nichols, president of Nichols Brothers, Freels and Woodmansee are subcontractors who worked at the Freeland boat yard. He said the two were doing some insulation work for the company. Why they went out in a small boat in the dark was beyond him to explain.

“I would hope our employees know better than that,” Nichols said. “They were horsing around and acting stupid and irresponsible.”

Lindner said Freels attempted to stand up in the boat when he lost his balance and tipped it over.

Jeremy Bartlett, 21, who lives on Bercot Road in Freeland, was getting into his car at the time of the incident. He heard calls for help coming from the water.

Along with his father, Tom, Bartlett rushed to the water. He borrowed a neighbor’s canoe and paddle and headed across the dark water, while Tom Bartlett donned a wetsuit and paddled his windsurfing board toward the overturned boat.

Freels and Woodmansee had abandoned their boat and had started swimming toward a pleasure boat anchored nearby. Tom Bartlett said they were still a long way from reaching the boat when his son reached them.

Jeremy Bartlett pulled one of the men in the water into the canoe. With the other man hanging on to the side of the canoe, he paddled over to the pleasure boat and dropped him off. His father helped him get the man aboard, then used blankets he found on the boat to keep the man warm.

They took the other man, who was nearly unconscious due hypothermia to shore.

A Fire District 3 volunteer later rowed the canoe out to the pleasure boat and picked up the second man. District volunteers were not able to put any of their watercraft in the water during the hour-long rescue operation.

Freels and Woodmansee were taken to Whidbey General Hospital, where they were treated for hypothermia.

Lindner said Freels and Woodmansee were in the water for approximately 25 minutes. He said they were not wearing life jackets, nor were there any in the boat.

They were fortunate they did not drown, he said.

“Someone would be lucky to last 50 minutes in that water temperature,” said Lindner. “It just goes to show you how quick things can happen.”

The decision to go out in the water unprepared may have had a cause.

“There was an indication alcohol may have been a factor,” Lindner said.

That part of the incident is still under investigation.

The incident drew a number of witnesses. Two South Whidbey High School students were on Shoreview Drive when they also heard the calls for help. Stephan Peterson and Greg Crooks, both 14, said they initially thought friends were playing a joke on them when they heard the yelling.

When they realized someone was really in trouble, they shouted to nearby Nichols Brothers employees to call 911 when they realized the situation was serious.