Marine Patrol continues investigation into hit-and-run incident

By THOMAS P. CALDWELL, LACONIA DAILY SUN

GILFORD — The New Hampshire Marine Patrol has received some tips to help identify the operator of a boat that struck and seriously injured two teenage tube riders and left the scene last Tuesday, but there had been no arrest in the case as of Monday afternoon.

Lt. Crystal McLane said the agency is continuing to investigate the incident in which a white boat with blue and gray lettering struck a tube with two teenagers aboard, and continued on its way without stopping. One of the teens sustained injuries serious enough that he was transported to Huggins Hospital in Wolfeboro for treatment.

The incident occurred on Aug. 8 around 6:35 p.m. as the vessel towing the tube was making a turn. The white boat, estimated to be 21 feet long, with two men aboard, was coming from the direction of Minge Cove when it struck the tube, ejecting the riders, and it continued on in the direction of Rattlesnake Island, according to witnesses.

McLane said Marine Patrol has identified a person they believe might have been the operator of the white boat, “but haven’t questioned him yet.”

Overall, she said, it has been a busy summer, due to the nice weather. Nonetheless, Marine Patrol has seen mostly just the common problems, such as noise and safe passage violations, as well as waterski violations where there are not the proper number of observers or the boat is towing more than the maximum limits allow.

She said there is a good awareness of the day and night speed limits on the lake, but officers are out there to enforce those limits, especially on Winnipesaukee where there had been problems in the past.