Ethan Allen boating accident

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The Ethan Allen is raised by investigators after capsizing and sinking 70 feet underwater.

The Ethan Allen was a 40-foot, glass-enclosed tour boat operated by Shoreline Cruises on Lake George in upstate New York. On October 2, 2005, at 2:55 p.m., with 47 passengers–all from Michigan and Ohio and mostly seniors–aboard, the Ethan Allen capsized and sank just south of Cramer Point in the Town of Lake George. Twenty passengers died and 27 survived.

Contents

1 The accident
2 Investigations
3 Official Report
4 Memorial
5 External links

The accident

It was believed that the boat capsized due to waves caused by a larger cruise ship, The Mohican. However, tourists at a nearby camp reported that the Mohican passed by the area where the Ethan Allen sunk 20 minutes later. The boat has been raised by investigators.

Weather was not a factor in this accident, as the skies were blue and the wind was calm. The 20 people that died are believed to have died from drowning, not hypothermia, as the water in the lake was 68 degrees Fahrenheit. The injured people were sent to Glens Falls Hospital via Hague, Warrensburg, North Warren, Moreau and Lake George ambulances. The boat was carrying a tourist group, the Trenton Travelers, based out of Trenton, Michigan, including seniors from Michigan and Ohio.

Investigations

On October 3, the Ethan Allen was raised by investigators and brought to the Warren County Airport. By Friday, two of the survivors who returned to Michigan filed lawsuits for damages of $70,000 each. The following week, the Ethan Allen was returned to Lake George for a series of tests to determine what caused it to capsize. According to WRGB The Mochican was used during tests on 3 consecutive days. On October 15 it was confirmed that the Ethan Allen was making a sharp turn and that weight was a factor for the capsizing. The most shocking piece of information discovered was that the glass windows on the boat had acted like a box, trapping the passengers inside. On November 4, the alcohol results came back from the toxicology center, and results showed that the captain of the Ethan Allen had been drinking several days prior to October 2nd, but that he had not drank alcohol on the day of the accident.

Official Report

On Friday February 3,2006 the official police report for the Ethan Allen was released after a 3 month delay. The report is 530 pages in three volumes, with all the information about the Ethan Allen. There are 84 pages written by survivors, and 101 pages about police discussion. There has been much dicussion other whether or not the Mohican did or did not pass the Ethan Allen, causing it to capsize. People around and on the lake at the time claim the Ethan Allen had passed 20 minutes after the Ethan Allen had capsized. The pilot of the Ethan Allen, Richard Paris stated:

"I started to swing the bow of the boat to the right and immediately encountered stray waves from the wake of the Mohican that was going northbound. The entire boat then tipped to the left and just kept right on going."

Right after the accident there was feuding between Shoreline Cruises and Lake George Steamboat Co. Statements from Shoreline employees, including members of the Quirk family, which owns the company, show the Shoreline people believe the Steamboat Co. deliberately used waves from the Mohican to cause trouble for Shoreline. Former Steamboat Co. employees (and passengers) claim that they have witnessed the Mohican swamping other boats on the lake in the past.

There were multiple reports by people near and around the lake of several other boats being in the vicinity. Reports from some people at local campsites claim that a speed boat had passed by, while others claim the lake was calm. Warren County Police did not confirm whether or not there were other boats around the Ethan Allen. Regardless of the actrions or locations of other crafts, the report concluded that the Ethan Allen boating accident was not a crime.

Memorial

On February 1,2006 a service to community ceremony was held at the Glens Falls Civic Center to recognize the people, including paid professionals, volunteers and citizens, that stepped up in a time of need to help during this tragic accident. The names of all 20 people that died that day were read. An estimated 600 people attended the ceremony. Lake George Village Mayor Robert M. Blais said that plans are in the works for a memorial to recognize the victims and the survivors sometime around the one year anniversary of the accident. October 2,2006.

External links

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