SYLVAN BEACH, NY — The Oneida County Sheriff’s Office Marine Patrol Unit investigated a property damage boat accident on Oneida Lake on Nov. 22 after a water rescue was successfully conducted by the Sylvan Beach Volunteer Fire Department.
Bradley T. Dougherty, 50, of Rome, was operating an 18-foot, 2008 Stingray open-bow boat in a southeasterly direction on Oneida Lake near the end of the breakwater at Buoy-106 at about 2 p.m.
As he was navigating back into the Erie Canal, he struck submerged rocks and became disabled.
Hazardous water conditions with 2- to 4-foot waves caused his boat to take waves over the bow and stern as high winds of 12 to 20 mph pushed him onto the rocky breakwater, where he became hard-ground between Buoy-104 and the eastern shoreline of Oneida Lake.
After the Sylvan Beach Volunteer Fire Department removed Dougherty from the grounded vessel, he was transported to the Emergency Wall on the Erie Canal in Sylvan Beach, where he was evaluated by Vineall Ambulance.
Dougherty signed off on any further medical treatment.
The grounded vessel will be removed when sea state allows by Triple T Towing and Underwater Recovery on Nov. 23.
