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A man has died after a boat crashed into him on his rowing vessel Sunday morning at a New Hampshire lake, according to state police.
The collision occurred at 6:42 am in Tilton, New Hampshire. Thomas Mead, 76, was operating a rowing scull at Lake Winnisquam when a pontoon boat driven by a 17-year-old boy hit and killed him.
The boat’s operator brought Mead aboard and attempted to perform CPR until firefighters arrived on the scene. Mead was rushed to the hospital but was later pronounced dead. Police say it was unclear whether Mead was wearing a life vest.
Michael Sitar, Chief of Tilton-Northfield Fire & EMS, told the Boston Globe he believes the collision was an accident. The teen has not been charged in the incident.
“The boat that was struck was very low to the water. When they sit in those boats, they’re kind of reclined as well. It was a bit foggy and the way the sun was coming up, I believe the operator [of the pontoon boat] just did not see him and drove right over him,” Sitar said. He added that the boat was traveling at about 10 mph.
Tilton-Northfield Fire Captain Matt Gilman told WMUR News 9: “Pontoon boats sit a little higher in the water, and it kind of sounds like this was a much lower-than-normal boat. So, it certainly could make the sight angles difficult. It makes all the more reason to make sure you’ve got someone to watch out in front of where you’re headed. It was also kind of foggy on the lake in the morning, so I have a feeling there were a lot of factors that lead to this happening.”
The crash remains under investigation. The New Hampshire State Police is encouraging anyone with information related to the case to reach out.
Lake Winnisquam is New Hampshire’s fourth-largest lake, with an area of over 4,200 acres.
