76-year-old man dies in Alton boating incident

ALTON — Donald Longhi, 76, was pronounced dead after he was discovered unconscious in a boat in Alton Bay early Monday morning. 

“The facts as I understood them was, was [Longhi] was out fishing by himself in the early morning and he had some sort of medical issue, lost control of his boat, but was able to get it under control,” said Belknap County Attorney Andrew Livernois. “A passerby stopped and found him unconscious.”

The passerby called the Alton Fire Department after spotting the boat driving around in circles. As the passerby approached, the boat stopped, and he discovered Longhi unresponsive.

The Alton Fire Department declined to comment and passed questions along to Marine Patrol, who is currently investigating the incident. 

“Alton Fire Department  was there very quickly,” said Lieutenant Crystal McClain of Marine Patrol. “We followed up as the incident was unfolding.” 

McClain stated that Longhi appeared to have died from a medical condition rather than an injury, although the exact cause of death has yet to be determined. 

"There has not been a state autopsy conducted yet as far as I know," said Department of Justice Communications Director Mike Garrity.

“The investigation is still ongoing,” McClain said. “However, we believe it to be medical related, as opposed to injuries. He did not strike anything to the best we can tell while his boat was circling.”

It wasn’t clear whether or not Longhi died on the scene. 

“I can tell you he was pronounced [dead] later on after he’d been transported,” McClain said.