Tour boat captain says vessel was hit by waves

THE captain of a tour boat that capsized on a New York State lake, killing 20 people, told authorities it was hit by waves from another vessel or vessels and went over as he tried to steer out of them.

The postcard-perfect day on Lake George suddenly turned horrific yesterday when the 40ft Ethan Allen flipped over so quickly none of the 47 passengers could put on a life jacket. Seven were taken to hospital.

All the passengers were from Michigan, Warren County Sheriff Larry Cleveland said today. Their names were not immediately disclosed. A hospital spokesman had earlier put the toll at 21, but Cleveland said it was 20.

People from nearby boats tried to rescue the victims from the chilly water. Witnesses described a chaotic scene as the older victims, some who relied on walkers, cried out.

Ann Mae Hawley, 74, was on board: “We were just cruising along, and all of a sudden, the boat tipped. ... 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.”

The sheriff said: “Some of the victims were in fact found still trapped in the boat by divers,” he said.

There had been hundreds of boats on Lake George that afternoon, causing “a lot of wave action,” he said.

Investigators had not tested Richard Paris, an experienced boat captain, for drug or alcohol use because there was no evidence of intoxication, the sheriff said. He said there didn’t appear to be any criminal conduct.