New York State Police are investigating a boat crash in Herkimer County that resulted in the death of a 65-year-old and a 78-year-old.
State Police responded at around 2:40 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 9 to Kyser Lake in the town of Manheim for a reported boating incident involving two deaths.
The investigation determined two pontoon boats were traveling together in the East Canada Creek channel off Kyser Lake. The boats were floating next to each other and were lightly tied together.
Larry Barton, 78, of Dolgeville, was aboard a blue pontoon boat when he entered the water without a life jacket and experienced a medical emergency. The operator of the boat, Frank Decker, 52, of Little Falls, entered the water to assist Barton, leaving the boat unoccupied.
Lynn Richards, 65, of Little Falls, was operating a separate red, white, and blue pontoon boat that was connected to the other boat.
While attempting to gain control of Decker’s boat, Richards inadvertently placed the drive lever in forward gear instead of reverse. The boat struck a rock cliff, causing Richards to enter the water. The unoccupied boat continued traveling forward and subsequently struck Richards, causing fatal injuries.
Barton and Richards were pronounced dead at the scene. Both were transported by the Herkimer County Coroner to Little Falls Hospital for autopsy.
State Police said in a statement that the circumstances surrounding the incident, including the cause of Barton’s medical emergency, remain under investigation but added that there was no indication of foul play
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: NYSP identify 2 men dead in Kyser Lake boat crash
Reporting by Casey Pritchard, Utica Observer Dispatch / Observer-Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Casey Pritchard, Utica Observer Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
