Two women are dead and another remains in critical condition after a pontoon boat flipped on a lake in western Maine, throwing all seven people on board into the water, authorities said.
The accident happened Saturday, Aug. 30, around 1:30 p.m., when the group set out in an 18-foot boat on the upper section of Flagstaff Lake in Eustis, according to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
When the boat reached the beach area of a campground, the bow began sinking underwater. The operator, 50-year-old John Morris, tried to lift the bow, but the attempt failed and the boat flipped, officials said. All seven passengers were thrown into the water about 180 feet from shore.
Beachgoers and swimmers nearby rushed to help, pulling everyone to land. Three people were unresponsive and given CPR, according to the agency.
Kevin Carter, a retired firefighter from Massachusetts who was camping nearby, also stepped in to help, WMTW reported.
“Being a retired firefighter, you just step in — it’s in the blood,” he told the outlet. “I didn’t know what to expect, but the second I got out of my car, I heard people yelling. It was pretty chaotic.”
Because of the remote location, first responders didn’t arrive for about 45 minutes, WMTW reported.
Two women — 53-year-old Farhana Nasir and 23-year-old Kiran Akbar — were pronounced dead at the scene. A third woman, 22-year-old Noor Nasir, was taken to a hospital in Bangor and remains in critical condition, a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife confirmed to PEOPLE on Tuesday, Sept. 2.
A family friend, Zeeshan Abbasi, told WMTW that Noor is now in a coma.
“I see that beautiful girl lying in the hospital, fighting for her life,” Abbasi said. “And the doctors almost said there is no hope.”
Farhana Nasir and Akbar were from Long Island, while Noor lives in New York City, officials said. For their family and friends, the accident has been devastating.
“I’m so devastated, I cannot explain,” Abbasi told the outlet. “This is a nightmare. These kids, now young adults, grew up in front of my eyes.”
Authorities said none of the passengers were wearing life jackets, and alcohol does not appear to have played a role. The investigation is ongoing.
