Two women from Long Island were killed Saturday in a boating accident on a Maine lake, authorities said.
Farhana Nasir, 53, and Kiran Akbar, 23, were two of seven passengers on a pontoon boat when it flipped over on Flagstaff Lake around 1:30 p.m., the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife said in a press release. The lake is about 100 miles north of Portland.
Bystanders who witnessed the incident rushed to rescue those on board; Nasir and Akbar were pronounced dead at the scene.
John Morris, a 50-year-old man from Eustis, Maine, was driving the 2024 18-foot Sea-Doo Switch Pontoon when the bow started to go under, officials said. Morris tried to raise the bow, but the boat continued to go under — and eventually flipped over about 180 feet from shore.
All seven on board were thrown into the water, and none were wearing life jackets, authorities said. The bystanders managed to bring everyone to shore, but three were unconscious and needed CPR.
While Nasir, a Selden resident, and Akbar, from Long Grove, were killed, 22-year-old Noor Nasir was hospitalized in critical condition at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor. She is also a New York resident.
Alcohol is not believed to be a factor in the tragedy, according to Maine authorities. A full investigation of the accident is being led by the state wildlife department.
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