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Boyfriend Drowns Trying to Save Girlfriend in Lake Rescue, One of Five Fatal Boating Accidents in Upstate NY

  • Writer: Niagara Action
    Niagara Action
  • 6 days ago
  • 2 min read

Boyfriend Drowns Trying to Save Girlfriend in Lake Rescue, One of Five Fatal Boating Accidents in Upstate NY


A tragic series of fatal boating incidents across upstate New York continues as State Police confirmed Tuesday that a man drowned while boating on Otisco Lake in Onondaga County.


The victim, identified as 70-year-old Paul Bernet of Marietta, was last seen in the water near his pontoon boat around 1:24pm Monday in the town of Spafford.


His body was later recovered by troopers and local emergency crews.


The exact circumstances surrounding his death are still under investigation.



Bernet’s death is just the latest in a growing number of water-related fatalities this summer.


Over the weekend, multiple people lost their lives in separate accidents on Great Sacandaga Lake, Lake George, and Queechy Lake.


The alarming number of deaths prompted safety warnings from local law enforcement.



In Fulton County, 24-year-old Vickram Roopnarine of Schenectady drowned while attempting to rescue his girlfriend from the water after she encountered trouble while tubing on Great Sacandaga Lake.


Sheriff Richard Giardino said the woman had already been pulled to safety by nearby boaters, but Roopnarine, unaware of the rescue, entered the water and never resurfaced.


His body was recovered near the Broadalbin boat launch on Monday morning.


Investigators confirmed that neither Roopnarine nor his girlfriend had been wearing life jackets.



Giardino also referenced a deadly jet ski accident on June 23rd in the same area. Grace Clark, 21, was killed after colliding with a pontoon boat while operating a jet ski at over 25 mph.


Authorities attributed the crash to inexperience and a lack of safety precautions.


“This is heartbreaking,” Giardino said. “We are urging everyone to be mindful out on the water. That means slowing down, wearing life vests, and knowing the rules. These are preventable tragedies.”



Under a new state regulation, all operators of motorized watercraft in New York must complete an eight-hour boating safety course and carry a Safe Boating Certificate.


On Lake George, another fatal accident unfolded Friday evening. Just after 5pm, Jaedyn Shomo, 21, of Menands, went swimming from a pontoon boat in Harris Bay along with two others.


She struggled to return to the boat and never made it back. Her body was recovered in about 14 feet of water by North Queensbury Fire Department divers.


The Warren County Sheriff’s Office is continuing the investigation.



Shomo was remembered by North Colonie school officials as a standout student and athlete.


“Jaedyn made a positive impact at both Blue Creek Elementary and Shaker High School,” said Superintendent Kathleen Skeals. “This is a devastating loss.”


Meanwhile in Columbia County, a July 4th crash on Queechy Lake took the life of a 21-year-old man when a 16-foot bass boat slammed into the shoreline around 12:39pm, ejecting him from the vessel.


The man, who was one of three occupants, was taken to Albany Medical Center but later died of his injuries.



Boyfriend Drowns Trying to Save Girlfriend in Lake Rescue, One of Five Fatal Boating Accidents in Upstate NY



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