Boat Crashes at Marina, Stricken Operator Dies

COLD SPRING – Lower Township Police received a report of a boating collision and medical call July 22 at 10:11 a.m. at Canyon Club Marina, 900 Ocean Drive.  
Multiple agencies responded to the incident which was a one-vessel accident.  The operator of the 58-foot Sea Ray vessel U N I was a 67-year-old male from Cortez, Fla. 
The vessel had left its slip in ‘A’ dock and was making way outbound of the marina at a slow speed, approximately 4-5 knots. 
As it was traveling south inside the marina, the operator experienced a medical emergency. It is believed the operator turned the steering wheel of the vessel hard to left and attempted to bring the vessel into two empty slips on ‘A’ dock. 
The vessel entered the slips at an angle striking a bow piling. The vessel continued its forward motion, and the bow of the vessel struck the main section of ‘A’ dock. 
The forward momentum pushed the bow of the vessel on top of ‘A’ dock where it came to rest with the stern sitting low in the water. 
There were no injuries to any persons on the dock. No other vessels were hit. 
The operator’s wife, the sole passenger, started yelling for help. 
Several witnesses quickly reacted by jumping aboard and turned off the engines. 
Witnesses found the operator unconscious and not breathing on the deck of the vessel’s bridge. Witnesses administered CPR until emergency personnel arrived to relieve them. 
Lower Township Police Department, Lower Township EMS, Atlantic Care Paramedics, Town Bank Fire, Cape May Fire, and N.J. State Police responded. 
The victim was transported to Cape Regional Medical Center where he was later pronounced dead. 
Sea Tow removed the vessel from the dock.
The accident is being investigated by the N.J. State Police Marine Services Bureau by Trooper Ryan.