Tragic Boat's Operator Shut Down
Authorities: Vessel Was Short A Crewmember; Investigation Continues
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Play CBS Video Video Boat Accident Investigation Regulators are cracking down after the deadly Lake George tour boat accident in New York. Officials said there was only one crewmember on the boat. Michelle Miller reports.
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Video Capsized Boat Investigated Crews raised the Ethan Allen to the surface, a day after it capsized in chilly water. Michelle Miller spoke to a survivor.
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Video Michigan Town In Mourning The town of Trenton, Mich., was home to 14 of the passengers on the doomed lake cruise. The small community is now forced to live with the loss of so many loved ones. Trish Regan reports.
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Life vests from the sunken Ethan Allen are removed from the waters of Lake George, N.Y., as the vessel, background, is towed to shore. (AP)
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Dive teams work to raise the Ethan Allen. (AP)
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(CBS)
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A search boat patrols the waters of Lake George, N.Y. (AP)
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A diver leaves the waters of Lake George after searching for the overturned tour boat Ethan Allen. (AP)
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Photo Essay Tour Boat Tragedy Search efforts continue after a boat carrying senior citzens capsizes in New York state
The state late Monday suspended the operating certificates for all five boats run by tour company Shoreline Cruises, including that of The Ethan Allen, which sank Sunday afternoon during what was supposed to be a relaxing, one-hour fall foliage tour for a group of senior citizens.
The suspensions followed the determination that The Ethan Allen carried only one crewmember, 74-year-old Capt. Richard Paris, according to Wendy Gibson, spokeswoman for the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
The Ethan Allen has a maximum capacity of 50 people — 48 passengers and two crew, Gibson said. Commercial boats in New York that carry between 21 and 48 passengers must have two crewmembers.
According to authorities, the captain of the boat told them the boat was hit by waves from at least one other vessel and turned over as he tried to steer out of them. CBS News' Michael Weber reports there were rumors of eyewitness reports that the wake of a larger tour boat caused the boat to capsize, but there was no immediate confirmation that another boat that could have kicked up waves was in the area.
Police said a wave from a passing boat and a sudden shift of passengers' weight on the boat's long benches may have factored into the capsizing. The 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 — The de Champlain and The Algonquin — but Gibson said they had expanded the suspension to include The Adirondac and The Horicon. Those larger cruise ships carry 400 and 200 guests, respectively, compared with the smaller boats that carry between 30 and 50 people.
Shoreline Cruises did not return messages left at its office Sunday and Monday.
©MMV, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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