Yacht Operator Says NY Boat Hit by Wave; 3 killed

The man operating a yacht full of holiday revelers that capsized on the Fourth of July says the boat was hit by a rogue wave. WAMC’s Dave Lucas reports…

Sal Aurelino tells TV's News12 Long Island on Thursday that he was taking the Candi One home when lightning cracked, and moments later the boat was hit by a wave. He said it tilted, then kept turning and turning. He said it was chaos.

There were 27 people on board; three children died. Authorities were trying to determine whether the boat was overcrowded.

In 2005, A tour boat carrying a group of senior citizens capsized and sank on Lake George in upstate New York. Twenty people died when The Ethan Allen, carrying 48 passengers and one crew member, overturned off Cramer's Point. That accident caused government regulators to consider new laws on passenger boat capacity.

Dave Lucas, WAMC News.

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