On Sunday July 2, 2017 at approximately 10:00 PM, the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a boating accident on the Swinging Bridge Reservoir in Monguap Valley, NY.  

Witnesses advised that a speed boat collided with a pontoon boat mid channel, in the vicinity of the Starlight Marina. The speed boat quickly sunk after the collision and the two occupants were rescued by the pontoon boat.  When the pontoon boat brought the speed boat passengers to shore, the speed boat passengers suddenly jumped off the pontoon boat and fled into the adjacent woods. Sheriff’s deputies conducted a search of the area overnight with negative results. The two occupants of the pontoon boat were taken to Catskill Regional Medical Center. One was treated for a fractured shoulder and the other a leg injury.  

Early Monday morning a local fisherman located the submerged speed boat in approximately 50 feet of water using side scan sonar. The Sullivan County Dive Team was called to the scene but was unable to enter the water due to an oil and gasoline leak from the submerged vessel. The Ulster County Sheriff’s Office, Ulster Hose #5 and state police Dive Teams were contacted for mutual aid.

These units have the proper gear to protect their divers in situations where the water has become polluted. The sunken speed boat was raised up using air bags and at about 3:00 PM was floated  to shore. Sheriff Mike Schiff thanked all the first responders who came to the scene to assist. “It is a real tribute to our emergency service members when you get so many of them to show up, even though it is a long the Fourth of July Weekend”, said the Sheriff.  Both boats are being impounded for forensic examination. The occupants of the speed boat have not been heard from since they fled the scene. Anyone with information regarding this accident is urged to call the Sheriff’s Office at 845-794-7100 or the confidential TIPS line at 845-807-0158. All calls will be kept confidential.