Cayuga County Sheriff Brian Schenck reported that a boating collision on Cayuga Lake south of Long Point State Park injured two people and resulted in multiple citations for a Florida boat operator.
Deputies responded to the two-vessel crash at 1:26 p.m. on August 1. On arrival, emergency crews found a blue 1987 Larson 23-foot boat, operated by John H. Tiaskkun of Hawthorne, FL, resting atop a 2019 Tracker fishing boat operated by Anthony J. Rapoza. First responders were already on scene providing aid to the injured.
An investigation determined that Tiaskkun’s vessel was traveling northeast when it collided with Rapoza’s fishing boat, which had been troll fishing roughly 300 feet off the shoreline. Rapoza sustained serious injuries and was airlifted to Upstate Hospital, where he remains in stable condition. His passenger, Paul Davis, was transported by ambulance to the same hospital and has since been released.
Four additional passengers aboard Tiaskkun’s boat were unharmed.
Safety inspections revealed no mechanical issues with Rapoza’s Tracker boat. However, Tiaskkun’s Larson vessel lacked proper visual distress signals. Authorities determined Tiaskkun was at fault in the collision.
Tiaskkun has been issued tickets for reckless operation of a vessel (Navigation Law 45.1a), operating without a safety certification (Navigation Law 49.1), and expired visual distress signals (Navigation Law 40.7).
The Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by multiple fire departments, including Aurora, Union Springs, Cayuga, Aurelius, and King Ferry, as well as Four Town Ambulance, Auburn City Ambulance, Cayuga County Emergency Services, and the Department of Environmental Conservation.
Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact the Cayuga County Sheriff’s Office at 315-253-1222 or submit tips at https://www.cayugacounty.us/452/Send-a-Tip.
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