According to Oneida County Sheriff Robert Maciol, On 7-4-21…

According to Oneida County Sheriff Robert Maciol, On 7-4-21 at about 6:24 pm, Marine Patrol deputies were notified by a citizen that 3 people were in the water on the NYS Barge Canal break wall. The Marine Patrol responded to the area and found Kazin L. Wurtz, 27 of Canastota and Cheyenne R. Jaquin, 24 of Canastota clinging to the rock break wall trying to hold a canoe. Neither Jaquin or Wurtz were wearing a personal flotation device (PFD). Deputies learned that the third party Josuha J. Booth, 23 of Chittenago was aboard a good samaritan boat, that had picked him out of the water. Deputies were able to use a type 4 rescue throw ring attached to a line to pull to both Jaquin and Wurtz off of the break wall and pull them onto Sheriff’s Patrol Marine 1.

All 3 parties were brought back to the Sylvan Beach NYS Barge Canal Emergency Wall where they were evaluated by Sylvan Beach Fire Department EMS.

The investigation concluded that all 3 parties were in the same canoe and were trying to navigate in water conditions that were to hazardous for the size of the canoe. The investigation also concluded that they were not familiar with the body of water that they were trying to navigate and that they had no PFD’s aboard the canoe.

All 3 parties were issued summons for not having PFD’s, which are returnable to the Village of Sylvan Beach court on a later date.