Boat accident killed 21 in NY

Boat accident killed 21 in NY

An unprecedented tragic incident has taken a death toll of 20 passengers and left more than 27 injured, when a tour boat capsized at 2:55PM on Sunday, off Cramer's Point, on the western shore of Lake Georgia. The passengers were mostly senior citizens with walkers and wheel chairs from Detroit-area towns of Whitmore Lake, Livonia, Warren and Trenton.

By 5PM, all the passengers were accounted for. The glass-enclosed 40-foot tour boat, Ethan Allen, was apparently rolled over by the wake of a larger watercraft.

The 27 injured were taken to a nearby hospital in Glenn Falls to receive treatment. According to hospital spokesperson, Jason White, seven survivors were admitted for further treatment. According to some observers, it all happened within a span of about 30 seconds. As per New York Safety Regulations, even though it is required that the boats must carry at least one life jacket per passenger, adult passengers are not required to wear them.

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The passengers on-board did not have enough time to react due to the sudden nature of the incident. Dorothy Warren, a resident who was helping out the survivors, said one passenger told her "she saw a big boat coming close and she said, 'Whoop-dee-doo. I love a rocking boat."' The passenger lost consciousness and was not aware how she was saved. She had lost her mother in the tragic incident.

Ethan Allen is operated by Shoreline Cruises, based in Lake George, New York, about 50 miles north of Albany and the boat had been inspected in May, 2005 without any exceptions. The captain was a very experienced professional and after preliminary routine investigation, Cleveland stated that there was no suspicion of alcohol or drug usage involvement. The sheriff also mentioned that the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board was expected to be on the lake today.

This was one of the perfect days for an early-fall boat tour on the lake and the tour was supposed to have ended tomorrow in Saratoga Springs. The water temperature was about 68 degrees Fahrenheit. All authorities and individuals familiar with the area were taken aback with this tragic incident.