Ethan Allen boating accident
Encyclopedia
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. The accident caused government regulators to consider new laws on passenger boat capacity.
. The group included senior citizens from Michigan
and Ohio
. They were on an hour-long fall foliage tour on the lake.
When the boat capsized, the injured people were sent to Glens Falls Hospital
by ambulances from Lake George
and the nearby towns of Hague
, Warrensburg
, Moreau
. North Warren EMS, which incorporates the towns of Horicon
and Chester
, assisted in the effort. The Water Rescue Team, a part of the Horicon VFD was also called to the scene.
Speculation about the cause of the capsize originally centered on the sizable wake of a much larger cruise ship, the Lake George Steamboat Company
's Mohican, which traverses Lake George daily. However, no evidence emerged to support this theory. On the contrary, tourists at a nearby camp reported that the Mohican did not pass the area of the lake where the Ethan Allen sank until 20 minutes after the fact.
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.
Weather was also not a factor in this accident, as the skies were blue and the wind was calm. The 20 victims are believed to have died from drowning
, not hypothermia
, as the water in the lake was 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
. 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 Mohican was used during tests on three 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 rumor was that the glass windows on the boat had acted like a box, trapping the passengers inside like rats. However, it was later established by the NTSB that there were no glass windows; they were made of acrylic glass
and fitted in a swing-up frame. The frame attaches to the overhead. At the time of the accident they were swung up and out of the way. They remained in that position even with the boat sinking and were still up when the boat was recovered. Further reports showed that with the canopy installed the capacity rating of the boat was 14 people. There were 47 people on the boat the day of the incident.
On November 4, the alcohol results came back from the toxicology
center. They showed that the captain of the Ethan Allen had been drinking several days prior to October 2 but that he did not drink alcohol on the day of the accident.
. It established that Ethan Allen had capsized as a result of insufficient stability. The US Coast Guard was responsible for the original certification of the vessel, then called the Double Dolphin. It was thought that the original certification of 48 was allowed due to different test standards applied in 1966; passenger weight difference was not responsible for those differences.
When the owner of the Double Dolphin fitted the boat with an elaborate pipe structure and canvas top, the center of gravity was raised and, more importantly, the projected side area vastly increased. The boat continued to be inspected and certified by the USCG for 48 persons, although they should have performed another test. According to the NTSB Naval Architect, Rob Henry, if that test had been performed, the boat would not have been certified to carry any passengers due to insufficient stability to the load of the wind heel.
In the mid 1970s the boat along with two other sister vessels were sold after a company insolvency to Shoreline Cruises in Lake George. The US Coast Guard certificates were at that point still current and valid. New York State vessel regulators were given those certificates and, based on the US Coast Guard officially stating (incorrectly) that the boat had sufficient reserve stability to safely carry 48 passengers and 2 crew, New York regulators then gave the boat the same rating. In 1989, when the owner had a hard (wood and fiberglass) top installed to replace the pipe structure canopy, it was determined that its lower height more than compensated for its slightly greater weight, and vessel stability was increased to the point that passenger loading would have gone from 0 with the former top to 14 passengers. Because of the increase of stability, state regulators did not require a new stability test of the vessel, and the rating continued at 50 (48 passengers and 2 crew members).
According to the NTSB, the capsizing occurred due to a series of events. The total load was over three times greater than it should have been, the pilot made a hard turn to the right at speed, the seating arrangement put three people on the left versus two on the right (giving a permanent two-degree list to port), and the bench seats had no way of stopping involuntary sliding, so the centrifugal force of the hard turn caused involuntary movement of the passengers to the port. That movement increased the list to port and the increased list caused more sliding. Within seconds the center of gravity
was no longer over the hull and the boat rolled over.
It was also confirmed that the number of passengers (47) was too many and that the boat was only capable of safely carrying 14 passengers.
indicted Richard Paris, the boat's captain, and Shoreline Cruises on misdemeanor charges of criminal negligence
. Paris faced a maximum $250 fine and/or 15 days in jail if found guilty. The grand jury, which met for two months, also issued a report proposing new laws to prevent a repeat of the disaster. This was the third report about the capsizing. http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=560627&category=CAPSIZE&BCCode=HOME&newsdate=2/6/2007 In March 2007, Paris pleaded guilty and received a fine of $250 and 200 hours of community service.
to recognize the people, including paid professionals, volunteers, and citizens, who stepped up in a time of need to help during this tragic accident. The names of all 20 people who 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. The monument is in place on the shore near Lower Amherst Street.
brought by the victims and their families is pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York. On October 4, 2005 a trial date for April 13, 2010 for the lawsuits in question was announced.
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Lake George (New York)
Lake George, nicknamed the Queen of American Lakes, is a long, narrow oligotrophic lake draining northwards into Lake Champlain and the St. Lawrence River Drainage basin located at the southeast base of the Adirondack Mountains in northern New York, U.S.A.. It lies within the upper region of the...
in upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
. On October 2, 2005, at 2:55 p.m., with 47 passengers–all from Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
and Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
and mostly seniors–aboard, the Ethan Allen capsized and sank just south of Cramer Point in the Town of Lake George
Lake George (town), New York
Lake George is a town in Warren County, New York, USA. The population was 3,578 at the 2000 census. The town is named after the lake, Lake George. Within the town is a village also named Lake George. The town is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :The lake was...
. Twenty passengers died and 27 survived. The accident caused government regulators to consider new laws on passenger boat capacity.
Accident and initial speculation
The boat was carrying a tourist group, the Trenton Travelers, based out of Trenton, MichiganTrenton, Michigan
Trenton is a small city in Wayne County in the southeast portion of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 18,853...
. The group included senior citizens from Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
and Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. They were on an hour-long fall foliage tour on the lake.
When the boat capsized, the injured people were sent to Glens Falls Hospital
Glens Falls Hospital
Glens Falls Hospital is a 410 bed not-for-profit community hospital located in Glens Falls, New York. It serves the communities in Warren, Washington, Hamilton, Essex and northern Saratoga and Rensselaer counties. The hospital operates 28 off-campus health care facilities throughout the region...
by ambulances from Lake George
Lake George (town), New York
Lake George is a town in Warren County, New York, USA. The population was 3,578 at the 2000 census. The town is named after the lake, Lake George. Within the town is a village also named Lake George. The town is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :The lake was...
and the nearby towns of Hague
Hague, New York
Hague is a town in northeastern Warren County, New York, United States located on the scenic Lake George. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 854 at the 2000 census...
, Warrensburg
Warrensburg (town), New York
Warrensburg is a town in Warren County, New York, USA. It is centrally located in the county, west of Lake George. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town population was 4,255 at the 2000 census. Like the county, the town is named after General Joseph Warren. U.S....
, Moreau
Moreau, New York
Moreau is a town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 13,826 at the 2000 census. The town is located in the northeast part of the county, north of Saratoga Springs. Moreau is named after Jean Victor Moreau, a French general, who visited the area just before the town was...
. North Warren EMS, which incorporates the towns of Horicon
Horicon, New York
Horicon is a town in Warren County, New York, United States. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. Horicon's population was 1,479 at the 2000 census.Horicon is on the county's north border and is inside the Adirondack Park.- History :...
and Chester
Chester, Warren County, New York
----Chester is a town in Warren County, New York, United States. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,614 at the 2000 census...
, assisted in the effort. The Water Rescue Team, a part of the Horicon VFD was also called to the scene.
Speculation about the cause of the capsize originally centered on the sizable wake of a much larger cruise ship, the Lake George Steamboat Company
Lake George Steamboat Company
The Lake George Steamboat Company was incorporated in 1817 to operate steamboats on Lake George, New York. With the exception of the year 1949, it has never ceased to operate its service...
's Mohican, which traverses Lake George daily. However, no evidence emerged to support this theory. On the contrary, tourists at a nearby camp reported that the Mohican did not pass the area of the lake where the Ethan Allen sank until 20 minutes after the fact.
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.
Weather was also not a factor in this accident, as the skies were blue and the wind was calm. The 20 victims are believed to have died from drowning
Drowning
Drowning is death from asphyxia due to suffocation caused by water entering the lungs and preventing the absorption of oxygen leading to cerebral hypoxia....
, not hypothermia
Hypothermia
Hypothermia is a condition in which core temperature drops below the required temperature for normal metabolism and body functions which is defined as . Body temperature is usually maintained near a constant level of through biologic homeostasis or thermoregulation...
, as the water in the lake was 68 degrees Fahrenheit.
Investigations
On October 3, the Ethan Allen was raised by investigators and brought to the Warren County AirportFloyd Bennett Memorial Airport
Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport , formerly known as Warren County Airport, is a public airport located in the town of Queensbury three miles northeast of the city of Glens Falls in Warren County, New York, USA...
. By Friday, two of the survivors who returned to Michigan filed lawsuits for damages
Damages
In law, damages is an award, typically of money, to be paid to a person as compensation for loss or injury; grammatically, it is a singular noun, not plural.- Compensatory 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
WRGB
WRGB, channel 6, is a television station located in Schenectady, New York, USA. WRGB is owned by Freedom Communications, and is the CBS affiliate for the Albany-Schenectady-Troy television market...
, the Mohican was used during tests on three 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 rumor was that the glass windows on the boat had acted like a box, trapping the passengers inside like rats. However, it was later established by the NTSB that there were no glass windows; they were made of acrylic glass
Acrylic glass
Poly is a transparent thermoplastic, often used as a light or shatter-resistant alternative to glass. It is sometimes called acrylic glass. Chemically, it is the synthetic polymer of methyl methacrylate...
and fitted in a swing-up frame. The frame attaches to the overhead. At the time of the accident they were swung up and out of the way. They remained in that position even with the boat sinking and were still up when the boat was recovered. Further reports showed that with the canopy installed the capacity rating of the boat was 14 people. There were 47 people on the boat the day of the incident.
On November 4, the alcohol results came back from the toxicology
Toxicology
Toxicology is a branch of biology, chemistry, and medicine concerned with the study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms...
center. They showed that the captain of the Ethan Allen had been drinking several days prior to October 2 but that he did not drink alcohol on the day of the accident.
Official police report
On Friday February 3, 2006, the official police report for the Ethan Allen accident was released after a three-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 discussion over 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 Mohican had passed 20 minutes after the Ethan Allen had capsized. The pilot of the Ethan Allen, Richard Paris, stated:Regardless of the actions or locations of other crafts, the report concluded that the Ethan Allen incident was not a crime.
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.
NTSB report
On July 25, 2006, the final report for the Ethan Allen boating accident was released by The National Transportation Safety BoardNational Transportation Safety Board
The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent U.S. government investigative agency responsible for civil transportation accident investigation. In this role, the NTSB investigates and reports on aviation accidents and incidents, certain types of highway crashes, ship and marine...
. It established that Ethan Allen had capsized as a result of insufficient stability. The US Coast Guard was responsible for the original certification of the vessel, then called the Double Dolphin. It was thought that the original certification of 48 was allowed due to different test standards applied in 1966; passenger weight difference was not responsible for those differences.
When the owner of the Double Dolphin fitted the boat with an elaborate pipe structure and canvas top, the center of gravity was raised and, more importantly, the projected side area vastly increased. The boat continued to be inspected and certified by the USCG for 48 persons, although they should have performed another test. According to the NTSB Naval Architect, Rob Henry, if that test had been performed, the boat would not have been certified to carry any passengers due to insufficient stability to the load of the wind heel.
In the mid 1970s the boat along with two other sister vessels were sold after a company insolvency to Shoreline Cruises in Lake George. The US Coast Guard certificates were at that point still current and valid. New York State vessel regulators were given those certificates and, based on the US Coast Guard officially stating (incorrectly) that the boat had sufficient reserve stability to safely carry 48 passengers and 2 crew, New York regulators then gave the boat the same rating. In 1989, when the owner had a hard (wood and fiberglass) top installed to replace the pipe structure canopy, it was determined that its lower height more than compensated for its slightly greater weight, and vessel stability was increased to the point that passenger loading would have gone from 0 with the former top to 14 passengers. Because of the increase of stability, state regulators did not require a new stability test of the vessel, and the rating continued at 50 (48 passengers and 2 crew members).
According to the NTSB, the capsizing occurred due to a series of events. The total load was over three times greater than it should have been, the pilot made a hard turn to the right at speed, the seating arrangement put three people on the left versus two on the right (giving a permanent two-degree list to port), and the bench seats had no way of stopping involuntary sliding, so the centrifugal force of the hard turn caused involuntary movement of the passengers to the port. That movement increased the list to port and the increased list caused more sliding. Within seconds the center of gravity
Center of gravity
In physics, a center of gravity of a material body is a point that may be used for a summary description of gravitational interactions. In a uniform gravitational field, the center of mass serves as the center of gravity...
was no longer over the hull and the boat rolled over.
It was also confirmed that the number of passengers (47) was too many and that the boat was only capable of safely carrying 14 passengers.
Indictment
On February 5, 2007, a grand juryGrand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
indicted Richard Paris, the boat's captain, and Shoreline Cruises on misdemeanor charges of criminal negligence
Criminal negligence
In the criminal law, criminal negligence is one of the three general classes of mens rea element required to constitute a conventional as opposed to strict liability offense. It is defined as an act that is:-Concept:...
. Paris faced a maximum $250 fine and/or 15 days in jail if found guilty. The grand jury, which met for two months, also issued a report proposing new laws to prevent a repeat of the disaster. This was the third report about the capsizing. http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=560627&category=CAPSIZE&BCCode=HOME&newsdate=2/6/2007 In March 2007, Paris pleaded guilty and received a fine of $250 and 200 hours of community service.
Memorial
On February 1, 2006, a service to community ceremony was held at the Glens Falls Civic CenterGlens Falls Civic Center
Glens Falls Civic Center is a 4,806-seat multi-purpose arena, located in downtown Glens Falls, New York, that currently serves as the home of the Adirondack Phantoms, of the AHL. Built in 1979, it was originally the home of the Adirondack Red Wings, AHL affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings.On June...
to recognize the people, including paid professionals, volunteers, and citizens, who stepped up in a time of need to help during this tragic accident. The names of all 20 people who 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. The monument is in place on the shore near Lower Amherst Street.
Lawsuit
A lawsuitLawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
brought by the victims and their families is pending in the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York. On October 4, 2005 a trial date for April 13, 2010 for the lawsuits in question was announced.
Other Lake George accidents
On August 3, 1893, the excursion steamer Rachael struck a stone crib near Shelving Rock. Once holed, the pilot backed the steamer into deeper water where it rapidly sank. Nine of 29 people perished.External links
- Times Union Special Report
- CNN.Com News Story "Twenty die as New York tour boat capsizes"
- BBC NEWS "Tourists die in US boat disaster"
- FOX News "NTSB: Ethan Allen was overloaded"
- National Transportation Safety Board Summary of Final Report
New York°N date=December 2010°W