ELIOT, MAINE – On May 5, 2018 at approximately 8:15 p.m., New Hampshire State Police – Marine Patrol received a call regarding a boating accident with a missing person on the Piscataqua River in the area of the Elliot Boat Landing in Elliot, ME. Initial reports indicated that the crash occurred in Maine. A few minutes later, NHSP-MP Communications received a follow-up call advising that all four persons involved were accounted for. Responding agencies arrived at the boat landing and upon preliminary investigation, determined that the crash happened in New Hampshire, at which time, NHSP-MP officers responded.
Officers’ initial investigation found that a 24-foot Boston Whaler was being operated on plane by a 59-year-old male with three passengers on board. The vessel struck a buoy in the vicinity of the Elliot Boat Landing. Upon impacting the buoy, one female passenger, who was wearing a life jacket, was ejected from the boat. The operator called 9-1-1 for help and located her unconscious in the water. He maneuvered the vessel to the boat landing, which was within sight of the location of the crash.
Responding agencies transported the operator to York Hospital in York, Maine, for treatment of a possible back injury and other bruising. The other three passengers were brought to Portsmouth Hospital in Portsmouth. Two female passengers were pronounced dead. The third passenger, a male, was ultimately transported to a hospital in Boston, MA, for further treatment.
Responding agencies included the NHSP-Marine Patrol, Maine Marine Patrol, Elliot (ME) Police Department, Elliot (ME) Fire Department, United States Coast Guard.
The names and other identifying information is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
At this time it appears that operator inattention may have been a factor in this crash, however all aspects remain under investigation. Anyone who has further information related to this accident or who witnessed the incident is encouraged to contact New Hampshire State Police – Marine Patrol Sergeant Joshua Dirth at 603-227-2115 or by email at Joshua.Dirth@dos.nh.gov.
