Bangkok--Oct 5--eTurboNews
A tour boat capsized and sank some 70 feet beneath the surface Sunday on Lake George, located 200 miles north of New York City, killing 20 elderly passengers.
The Ethan Allen was raised by investigators on Monday from the bottom of Lake George, in hope of searching for clues as to what caused the tragedy.
Wayne Bennett, State Police superintendent, told reporters that investigators still do not know what initially caused the Ethan Allen to tip. But he said survivors reported that the unfastened plastic, slat benches moved rapidly to one side before the boat went over in the chilly mountain lake, AP reported.
Gov. George Pataki has suspended licenses for two other boats operated by the Ethan Allen's owner, Shoreline Cruises, pending the investigation into Sunday's accident. The governor cautioned, however, people should not draw conclusions about Shoreline Cruises.
But the acting chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, Mark Rosenker, said "nothing is ruled out" in the investigation. "It's much too early to determine what happened on that lake. Nothing is off the table," he told a news conference.
Reports are claiming that the boat turned on its side so quickly it did not allow ample time for the 47 elderly passengers to put on life jackets.
Rescuers, which included other boaters, rushed to the scene a few hundred feet (meters) offshore, tossing devices overboard. Witnesses reported seeing floating bodies that were later lined up on the shore in a makeshift morgue.
The death toll was revised down to 20 from the 21 reported initially. There were 28 survivors including the captain. The dead were aged 55 to 90, some of whom used walkers on board.
The toll could rise again, though, may rise as some of the seven hospitalized victims had severe injuries.
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