Accident Database

Report ID# 791

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  • PFD Not Worn or Present
  • Does not Apply
  • Inexperience
  • One Boat Trip

Accident Description

William Peace, 34, was canoeing with a fellow turkey hunter on New York's Hoosic River on April 16th. Neither man was wearing a PFD when the pair "unexpectedly" encountered rapids near the Vermont state line and flipped. Peace's partner, who was able to grab a floating life vest, made it ashore in time to see his friend and the canoe being carried around a bend. A motorist witnessed the accident and called police. Rescuers found the boat stuck in riverside brush near the site of the capsizing and the body a mile and a half downriver.

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