Three children were killed after the yacht that they were travelling in capsized on the fourth of July weekend, 2012. The accident occurred off the Long Island coast in the state of the New York, as the yacht was returning from watching fireworks over the water to celebrate the 4th of July.
There were 27 passengers travelling on the yacht at the time of the incident. Apart from the three children who were found inside the cabin of the yacht, the rest of the passengers were rescued with no serious injuries.
The waters in which the accident happened were crowded at the time of the incident, and the many nearby boats helped to rescue the surviving passengers. The three children who were killed were cousins, aged 12, 11 and eight. It is thought that they were trapped in the cabin when the ship capsized, making them unable to swim to the surface for safety.
The exact circumstances surrounding the accident is still unclear, but investigators from the US Coast Guard and the Nassau County Police Department are looking into the incident. It is not known whether the yacht was overloaded, or if rising swells caused the boat to capsize. It is also possible that a wake from a passing vessel lead to the boat overturning. Local authorities have not yet revealed whether the victims were wearing life jackets when the incident occurred.
Anyone under the age of 12 is required by New York state law to wear life jackets at all times when they are onboard a recreational vessel. However, children are not required to wear life jackets if they are seated in the cabin of the ship. As the bodies of the children were found inside the cabin, it is not clear whether life jackets should have been worn.
The yacht capsized around three miles from the coastline, and drifted for more than half a mile before sinking 60 feet under the surface of the water. It was only then that police divers were able to look for the bodies of the missing children. Authorities have suggested that there may have been too many passengers on board the yacht, which was 34 feet long. However, there is currently no federal law stating the maximum number of passengers that a recreational vessel can carry.
Investigations are continuing to determine who was liable for the accident, and therefore for the loss of three innocent children’s lives.
