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A body, believed to be that of a 71-year-old man from Montpelier, was found in Lake Champlain, ending a desperate search following a canoe capsizing incident.
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On the afternoon of October 21, a 71-year-old man set out on Lake Champlain with his 67-year-old relative from Woodbury, Vt. Their outing turned tragic when their canoe overturned near Knight Island State Park in North Hero, Vermont, according to NBC10 Boston.
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Despite wearing life jackets, the two men were separated. While the 67-year-old managed to swim to safety at Knight Island, the older man remained missing. Seeking help, survivor Paul Council located another canoe and set out for North Hero, where he alerted authorities.
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Vermont officials were promptly informed, spurring a search effort involving the Vermont State Police, Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department, and the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, as noted by NBC5.
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Two days after the accident, on October 23, a body surfaced two miles from the site of the capsizing. A resident of Holiday Point Road in North Hero spotted it and alerted the authorities. An autopsy is pending, and the family awaits further identification confirmation. Authorities at this time do not suspect foul play in the incident.
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\\”Our thoughts are with the family during this tragic time.\\”
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These events took place in Lake Champlain, an impressive water body reaching depths of 400 feet, nestled among Vermont, New York, and Quebec. The lake’s history and dramatic landscape add a poignant backdrop to this unfortunate accident.
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This incident closely follows another rescue drama on the opposite coast where the Sullivan family in Massachusetts was forced to swim to the relative safety of Naushon Island after their boat ignited mid-slumber.
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PEOPLE reached out to both the Grand Isle County Sheriff’s Department and the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife for further comments regarding this tragic accident.
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Reporting based on the original article; quotes reproduced verbatim.
