Crime & Safety
6 Occupants of Boat That Ran Aground Saturday From Barrington
Investigators release names of occupants, none of whom were injured seriously.
Six of the seven occupants of a boat that ran aground Saturday night, Aug. 31, off of Prudence Island were from Barrington.
Investigators released the names of the people on the boat Tuesday, Sept. 3, but are still investigating what caused the crash, which sent six of the seven occupants to area hospitals for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
The occupants were Melissa Berkoff, 22; Kirby Dwyer, 24; Tyler Green, 24; Kurt Grusmark, 23; Jessie Ott, 22; and William Wall, 23, all of Barrington; and Joanna Ricci, 23, of East Providence.
DEM has custody of vessel and is conducting an accident reconstruction, spokeswoman Gail Mastrati said Monday.
The North Kingstown Fire Department's marine unit led the rescue operation. Prudence Island is part of Portsmouth, but NKFD's was the first boat on the scene, so it took the lead.According to the Department of Environmental Management, which is conducting the investigation, the boat, a 26-foot Pursuit*, ran aground just south of Sheep Pen Cove, as it tried to navigate the gap between Prudence and Patience islands.
"It is an area where local knowledge is critical," said DEM's Kurt Blanchard Sunday. "It's a route used during the day, not necessarily at night."
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See previous stories on the accident below.
Officials Investigate Saturday Boat Accident Injuring 67 Rescued After Boat Runs Aground Off Prudence Island
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