Lake George, N.Y. – Just days before a tour boat capsized in the Adirondack Mountains, killing 20 elderly people, the Coast Guard began rethinking its passenger-weight calculations to take into account Americans’ expanding waistlines.
At the time it flipped over, the 38-foot Ethan Allen was just under its capacity of 48 passengers – a figure that was arrived at by using a 1960 Coast Guard standard that assumes a 140-pound average for each man, woman and child, authorities said.
Investigators looking into the accident have said that too much weight may have been a factor and suggested the Coast Guard standard might have to be revised because Americans are getting heavier – something the Coast Guard recognized well before the tragedy.
“We are looking at that, and we know that if you look around at average people, you know this is not an accurate average to be using,” said Coast Guard spokeswoman Angela McArdle.
The disclosure from the Coast Guard in Washington came as divers combed the bottom of Lake George for the belongings of the elderly passengers tossed into the water and experts examined the boat for clues to why it overturned on a calm, clear Sunday during a one-hour sightseeing tour.
