Accident Database: Accident #2265
| River: | Susquehanna River |
| Section: | Holtwood Dam |
| Location: | |
| Gauge: | |
| Water Level: | High |
| Difficulty: | VI |
| Accident Code(s): | Lowhead Dam |
| Injury Code(s): | Fatal |
| Age: | 16 |
| Experienced/Inexperienced: | Inexperienced |
| Years Paddling: | >10 |
| Private/Commercial: | Private |
| Boat Type: | Other |
| Boat Manufacturer: | |
| Boat Model: | |
| Number of Occupants: | 5 |
| Number in Group: | 5 |
| Number of Victims: | 0 |
| Other Victim Names: | |
| Hazard Codes: | Hydraulic/Keeper Hole, Water Temp |
| Initial Report: | LancasterOnline. com Officials get photos of boating accident By Brett Hambright, Staff Intelligencer Journal Published: May 03, 2007 2:35 AM EST LANCASTER COUNTY, PA - Investigators have acquired amateur photographs that show the panic aboard a boat moments before it plunged over the Holtwood Dam Sunday.Nichole Barlow, 16, who was one of six people aboard the boat, is missing and presumed drowned. The other five survived the accident. Also, Jennifer Whitton, the boat's owner, has stopped cooperating with authorities, according to K. Derek Pritts, waterways conservation officer for Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. A Maryland tourist took the photographs with a wide-angle lens Sunday afternoon when she heard screams for help from those aboard the boat, Pritts said. The photos give investigators a glimpse of the panic on the boat before it plunged 55 feet over the dam into the Susquehanna River. "You can see six people in distress, getting into life jackets," he said of the photos. Some of the photos also show the boaters in churning waters after the fall over the dam. Pritts said Nichole is not visible in any of those shots. The panic aboard the boat followed a peaceful Sunday afternoon spent eating lunch on Lake Aldred. The trip turned into a nightmare when the boat's engine failed to restart and the craft drifted about 300 yards south toward the dam. The vessel went over the dam about 2:25 p.m. Nichole and three other passengers were able to get life jackets on before the fall, the survivors said. Investigators believe they found her life jacket Wednesday submerged in water about 110 yards south of the dam. Searchers Wednesday also found the boat's motor, Pritts said. However, Nichole, a Solanco High School 10th-grader, was still missing as of late Wednesday. Rescue helicopters and boats plucked five of the boaters from the area near the base of the dam. Investigators believe Nichole was swept downstream by the river's strong currents. "This river is one of those crazy, wild rivers," Pritts said. "It's so deadly in Lancaster County. You can't hold back that water pressure. It's relentless." Whitton, a 36-year-old Quarryville resident who owned the boat, referred Pritts to her attorney when Pritts asked her to complete a boat accident form. The form is required by law to be filled out within 48 hours of every boating accident. Pritts said Whitton's lack of cooperation, including her refusal to meet with Pritts, may hinder their search for Nichole. "If (the survivors) see the photos, it may trigger some things they may not recall," he said. The search for Nichole was scaled back Wednesday, but conservation officers and dozens of citizen volunteers and firefighters were on the river looking for her. "We are covering all bases and looking in the river," Pritts said. "We don't want to say we are 100 percent sure, but we know that's where we want to be looking — in the river." The orange floatation device, believed to have been worn by Nichole, was pinned under rocks and brush in the Susquehanna River about 110 yards south of the Holtwood Dam, Pritts said. "We don't believe Nichole is there," he said, "but it does appear to be the type of (life jacket) that was on the boat. If it is, it would be the sixth one." The other five jackets have already been recovered or were being worn by the survivors, Pritts said. The 16-foot SeaRay boat's inboard/outboard motor was found beneath Norman Wood Bridge, pinned between rocks, Pritts said. Pritts expected the motor and life jacket to be recovered from the river today. Other than narrowing or expanding the scope of search efforts, it is unclear what the recent findings will tell investigators about the accident or Nichole's whereabouts. The search on the river is expected to continue for days. Pritts said he expects volunteers to continue showing up to help. "The imperative thing is to continue to look for Nichole," he said. "All they want is Nichole to be found. "We will find Nichole; it's just a matter of time." E-mail: bhambright@lnpnews. com © 2004-2007 Lancaster Newspapers PO Box 1328, Lancaster PA 17608, (717) 291-8811 |
| Summary: | |
| Detailed Description: | |
| Conclusions: | |
| Report Status: | Reported |