N.Y. officials: Capsized boat had too few in crew

Boat turned into wake, survivor says
A survivor, 76-year-old old Jeane Siler of Trenton, Mich., said that she saw a wake coming and that the boat turned into it. She said she stood up and was either thrown or jumped into the water, where she found herself surrounded by other passengers. She suffered broken bones in her spine, a broken finger and bumps on her head.

Virgil Chambers, executive director of the National Safe Boating Council, an organization for recreational boaters, said investigators would probably examine how weight was distributed within the boat.

“If all the people were on one side, maybe to look at something, and if the operator were to take the boat over a wave at a particular angle, it could cause the boat to roll,” Chambers said.

Chambers said he also expected investigators to look into whether there were any modifications to the craft, such as the addition of a canopy, that might have made the boat less stable.

The captain was not tested for drug or alcohol after the accident. The sheriff said he had no legal grounds for administering such a test. Also, the sheriff said Paris had a state license, rather than a Coast Guard one, which would have required a test for drugs or alcohol.

No problems during last inspection
The boat was last inspected in May and no problems were found, state officials said.

Hundreds of boats were on the long, narrow lake about 50 miles north of Albany in the Adirondack Mountains, on the sunny Sunday afternoon, causing “a lot of wave action,” Cleveland said.

When the Ethan Allen went over, people from nearby boats converged to try to rescue victims. Witnesses described a chaotic scene as the older victims, some of whom relied on walkers, cried out.

“The boat was sideways in the water, and people were screaming,” said Joanne Rahal, who was in a boat when the Ethan Allen flipped. “Bodies were floating by our boat.”

“We were just cruising along, and all of a sudden, the boat tipped. We thought it was kind of like a joke,” Ann Mae Hawley, 74, told the Glens Falls Post-Star. “Next thing I knew, I was in the water under the boat. I could see my husband, and I called to him, but he didn’t respond. I don’t know where he is now.”

Boat thought to be safe
A former captain of the boat, William Huus, said the Ethan Allen would list to the left when fully loaded because of the way the seats were configured. But he said he never had a problem with the boat. “I carried hours and hours and hours on that boat and she was, I thought, a very safe boat,” Huus said.

A woman who answered the door at Paris’ house and identified herself as the captain’s wife said he was out of the house and would have no comment.

Only Colorado, Indiana and New Hampshire require adults to wear life preservers when a boat is motion, said Melissa Savage of the National Conference of State Legislatures. No states have special laws governing boaters who are elderly or infirm.

The Lake George Park Association and the sheriff’s department are responsible for enforcing safety on the lake, and may reconsider the rules governing crew size and life jacket use, particularly when elderly or infirm passengers are involved, said James Hood, a spokesman for the association.

“It seems like a logical question or at least something to review,” Hood said.

The trip was arranged through Canadian-based Shoreline Tours, which did not immediately return a call for comment. A separate company, Shoreline Cruises, owns the boat. It issued a statement saying it was “deeply saddened by yesterday’s tragedy.”

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