The joy and excitement of watching July 4 fireworks was short lived for the people on a yacht off the coast of New York. The yacht capsized sending 27 people into the waters of the Long Island Sound. Three of the passengers were killed and 24 were rescued by people from other boats.
The three people who died were recovered near Oyster Bay after a search that went on through the night, said a Deputy Inspector from Nassau County. The Inspector, Kenneth Lack, said three people had lost their lives in the accident, but would not release the victims’ names or ages. A number of media outlets said that some of the passengers on board had been children.
No actual cause of the accident could be determined as of yet, but authorities said it might have been caused by a combination of a wake from a nearby vessel and the weather. Authorities found the first body a short while after the 10:10 pm 911 call was received. The two other bodies were found inside the vessel. Investigators said the search took a great deal of time because it is very dangerous.
A thunderstorm hit the area shortly after 10:30 pm and wind was steady at just 10-15 mph. The Coast Guard said the yacht, a Silverton, was submerged. Survivors were taken to hospitals and a nearby yacht club.
One boater said he saw the boat capsize after turning right and then being hit by a wake. He said he tossed all of his life jackets overboard to help rescue people and took aboard 20 people.
