A new report by the state Fish and Wildlife Department is shedding light on why a rescue boat carrying a deceased Kentucky hiker capsized in March.
According to the accident report, one too many officers had boarded the boat used to retrieve the body of Raven Run hiker Mary Katharine Stewart. The 22-year-old Transylvania University student died after falling from an overlook at the nature sanctuary on March 19.
Officials say the overcapacity boat was overturned by the wake of a second rescue boat. Rescue equipment brought on board by firefighters also helped to weigh the vessel down. All of the officers made their way to the shore, but divers were required to recover Stewart’s body later that evening.
Assistant Fire Chief Harold Hoskins told reporters Thursday the accident prompted an internal review and the department is making changes to its training and safety procedures.