Boat that capsized was one crew member short

The captain, 74-year-old Richard Paris, was the only crew member aboard when the boat, with 47 passengers, overturned on Sunday afternoon during what was supposed to be a relaxing, one-hour foliage tour for a group of senior citizens. He was among the 28 survivors.

New York state last night suspended the operating certificates for all five tour boats run by Shoreline Cruises after the determination that one crew member was aboard, said Wendy Gibson, spokeswoman for the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

Meyer said the fine for violating state navigation regulations is between $25 (€21) and $100 (€84).

The Ethan Allen was hauled out of the lake last night and taken to a county airport, where National Transportation Safety Board investigators were to examine the vessel to determine why it capsized.

“The inspector made the determination that there was in fact an additional crew required for that vessel and did list one crew in addition to the pilot on that permit,” Meyer said.

The Ethan Allen has a maximum capacity of 50 people – 48 passengers and two crew, Gibson said earlier. Commercial boats in New York that carry between 21 and 48 passengers must have two crew members.

Police said a wave from a passing boat and a sudden shift of passengers’ weight on the boat’s long bences may have factored into the capsizing. An investigation is ongoing.

“The bottom line is, any one of these little factors could not have upset the boat,” said Warren County Sheriff Larry Cleveland. “If four or five of these came together, it’s possible.”

State officials originally suspended the certificates for two small boats similar to the Ethan Allen, but Gibson said they had expanded the suspension to include the Adirondac and the Horicon, larger cruise ships carry 400 and 200 guests, respectively.

Cleveland cautioned not to draw conclusions from the suspended certificates. “I do not believe there is any criminal culpability on any of the parties we have spoken with,” he said.

The captain of the glass-enclosed boat told authorities it was hit by waves from at least one other vessel and turned over as he tried to steer out of them, authorities said.

The boat flipped so fast that no passenger could put on a life jacket. Forty-six passengers were from Michigan, with one from Ohio. Eight people were taken to hospital with shortness of breath, broken bones and other injuries.

State Police Superintendent Wayne Bennett said passengers either slid or were thrown to one side of the boat after it began lurching. “And that, of course, would automatically mean an even bigger shift of weight,” Bennett said.

The Ethan Allen was rated for 50 passengers based on the Coast Guard standard of 150 pounds per person. Cleveland said that standard may have to be revised in light of data showing Americans growing fatter.

Yesterday afternoon, crews using inflatable bags raised the sunken boat 70 feet to the surface. Orange life vests could be seen floating inside. The search continued for other items.

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

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