Wendy Pittinger

Wendy Pittinger
Sex	F
Spouse	Paul Pittinger

On June 26, 1971, Wendy Pittinger and and her husband Paul were clinging to their overturned boat when Jackie Archer spotted them as she and Mark Gravengood were flying to Catalina Island in Rocinante.

Mark called on the aircraft emergency frequency, the air traffic controller called out the Coast Guard, and Mark and Jackie orbited the boat until the Coast Guard showed up and rescued the Pittingers.^ROC22

Wendy and Paul were heading from La Jolla up to Catalina in their open runabout around June 24, 1971. Something went wrong with the engine, and they couldn't get it running again. A wave turned the boat over. They hung on to the overturned boat, not being able to right it. They were cold and thirsty, and getting weak, when Jackie spotted the boat. When the Coast Guard picked them up, both Wendy and Paul needed hospital care; they probably wouldn't have lasted until the following day. A letter from the Pittingers was included with the commendation packet that Mark and Jackie received from the Coast Guard.^ROC24

In 1992, the Gravengoods were still getting Christmas cards from the Pittingers.^ROC30