Three men and two women were thrown from their 19-foot boat after it took a wave over the bow in Lake Ontario on Monday, July 4. A member of the Coast Guard Reserve witnessed the event and called the Coast Guard Station Rochester to notify the crew of the accident. The Coast Guard deployed a 25-foot response boat to the scene, and the crewmen brought all five people out of the water.
Although there were five life jackets aboard the vessel, none of the passengers were wearing one at the time of the accident. Petty Officer 3rd Class Mark Owings took the opportunity to emphasize the importance of wearing life jackets rather than simply having them aboard. People rarely have enough time to put on a life jacket when an accident like this occurs.