U.S. Passenger Ferry Ethan Allen Capsizes
Captain And Cruise Line Charged With Deaths
February 5, 2007
The Ethan Allen was a 40-foot, glass-enclosed tour boat operated by Shoreline Cruises on Lake George in upstate New York, had 47 passengers onboard on October 2, 2005.
Ethan Allen capsized and sank just south of Cramer Point in the Town of Lake George. Twenty passengers died, and 27 survived.
Weather was not a factor in this accident. The skies were blue and the wind was calm. The 20 victims are believed to have died from drowning.
On October 15, 2005 it was confirmed that the Ethan Allen was making a sharp turn and that weight was a factor for the capsizing.
When the owner of then Double Dolphin fitted the boat with an elaborate pipe structure and canvas top, the center of gravity was raised and the projected side area vastly increased. The boat continued to be inspected and certified, incorrectly, by the USCG for 48 persons.
On July 25, 2006, the final report for the Ethan Allen boating accident was released by The National Transportation Safety Board. It established that Ethan Allen had capsized as a result of insufficient stability.
The capsizing occurred due to a series of events according to the NTSB. The total load was over three times greater than it should 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.
It was also confirmed that the number of passengers (47) was too many and that the boat (based upon today's average American's weight) was only capable of carrying 14 passengers.
A grand jury charged both Shoreline Cruises and Capt. Richard Paris with failing to have enough crew members aboard the Ethan Allen tour boat when it flipped over in Lake George, sending its passengers into the chilly water.
Paris was the only crew member aboard; state navigation law required at least two for the 47 passengers on board that day.
On November 4, 2005 the alcohol results came back from the toxicology center, and results 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.
The grand jury also made several legislative recommendations, Warren County District Attorney Kate Hogan said at a morning news conference. Details won't be released until a county court judge accepts the report, she said.
Nine lawsuits have been filed in federal court by survivors and victims' families.
