Another Deadly NY Boat Crash
The day after Independence Day, another boat accident took the life of three men. According to the Wall Street Journal, the accident happened on Oneida Lake, near Utica. A 66 year old grandfather and two of his grown sons were killed.
The men, Anthony Aceto (66), Stephen Aceto (41), Timothy Aceto (33), and Anthony Aceto (39), were having a “guys day” on the lake, having fun and reconnecting over the holidays. The women were back at the house waiting for their return.
Stephen had made the drive from Tampa to visit family for the holiday and introduce them to his girlfriend and soon-to-be fiancé.
The men were said to know the lake “like the back of their hand” after spending many family outings there over the years. But experience didn’t prove helpful.
Timothy was driving the boat when he reportedly got distracted by fireworks. When he wasn’t looking, the boat careened into a buoy on a concrete base. All four men were thrown from the boat on impact.
A friend, who was driving his boat alongside the Aceto men, pulled the younger Anthony Aceto from the water. The other three drowned.
None were wearing life jackets.
Oneida County Sheriff’s Lt. James McCarthy said the boat appeared to be heading home when the accident happened. The accident occurred in Messenger Shoal, about five miles west of Sylvan Beach, on the east end of the lake.
The survivor, Anthony, is a husband and father of a toddler. He suffered a broken shoulder and cracked ribs. The tragedy of the accident, however, is no doubt more painful than his physical injuries. His mother said “he is shattered by the tragedy, shouldering the burden of survivor’s guilt for not being able to save his father and brothers.”
Such an accident is truly tragic for everyone involved and particularly for young Anthony.
Summertime boating accidents are not uncommon in the lakes and waterways of New York. These accidents don’t always end in death, but they usually end in tragedy nonetheless. Of course you can reduce the likelihood of drowning after an accident by wearing a life jacket, but injuries from impact are still common and very probable.
As in a car accident, when you are involved in a boating accident, you can still be entitled to compensation for your injuries. As a passenger on the boat, you are almost never at fault for any accident that occurs, nor should you be held responsible for the aftermath.
If you or a loved one was injured or killed in a boating accident, the personal injury attorneys with Omrani & Taub, P.C. may be able to help.
