State police say Hudson rafting guide intoxicated when passenger died
State police say a licensed river guide was legally intoxicated yesterday when a passenger was lost in whitewater on the Hudson River.
Rory Fay, 37, from North Creek, has been accused of criminally negligent homicide following the incident.
According to a statement released by state police, Fay was leading a trip down the river on Thursday when two passengers were “ejected from the raft in whitewater conditions.”
One passenger made it safely to shore but 53-year-old Tamara Blake, from Columbus, Ohio, was swept away.
“New York State Police Aviation was utilized to search the river and Blake’s body was discovered approximately five miles down stream in the Hudson River,” according to state police.
An autopsy was scheduled for today in Saranac Lake.
According to officials, it was “determined that Rory Fay was intoxicated while transporting Clar and Blake on the rafting trip.”
State Police consulted with Hamilton County District Attorney Marsha Purdue and Fay was arrested for Criminally Negligent Homicide regarding the death of Blake. Fay was subsequently arraigned before Indian Lake Town Justice Judy Durken and remanded to the Hamilton County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail or $100,000 bond.On September 27, 2012, at approximately 12:00 p.m.
Fay was employed by the Hudson River Rafting Company, which faced accusations last year of endangering customers. The charges against him are only allegations. He is innocent until proven guilty.
Didn’t someone here on the inbox predict that something bad could happen with this rafting company?
Im not sure we should be commenting on a potentially criminal situation.
Yes, to change the subject, what I would like to see for a blog post today is something on that cartoon style “bomb” that the Israeli prime minister was using for his “red line” lesson at the UN. Did anyone else think that was weird?
What I find surprising is that this “accident” took place when the Hudson is running low.
Also, the rafting company is not part of the Hudson River Rafting Association.
Yes, to Paul’s, question.