Lawsuit Filed in N.Y. Against Operator of Lake George Cruise Ship

The sons of an elderly Michigan woman who drowned when the Ethan Allen cruise ship capsized last month in Lake George have filed a lawsuit against the boat’s operator.

The children of 89-year-old Viola Urbaniak are seeking unspecified damages from Shoreline Cruises. The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Albany also names the boat’s captain, Richard Paris.

The Ethan Allen was carrying 47 elderly passengers on Oct. 2 when it capsized. Twenty people, mostly from Michigan, died.

The lawsuit states that Shoreline failed to provide the required number of crew members and that life jackets were not available to all passengers.

The Warren County Sheriff’s Department last week said it found no evidence of crime in connection with the tragedy.

It was the first lawsuit filed in New York state in connection with the capsize of the Ethan Allen; three lawsuits have been filed in Michigan.