MERCER COUNTY, Ky. (LEX NEWS) — It has been just over a month since a tragic boat crash on Herrington Lake left a 25-year-old man dead and his family members injured.
Nazar Svintozelskiy died in the crash that occurred the evening of July 4. His body was later recovered nearly 200 feet underwater, according to the Mercer County Coroner.
According to the family's attorney Justin Peterson, a wake boat struck Svintozelskiy while the pontoon sat idle in the water. No charges have been filed as the investigation continues.
Through a Kentucky Open Records request LEX NEWS INVESTIGATES obtained audio recordings of the emergency dispatch and 911 calls the night of the incident.
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"We got a crash at Herrington Lake. There's a boat that ran into us, a man is dying," a caller reported from the pontoon.
Dispatchers quickly coordinated a multi-county response, but Kentucky State Police Fish and Wildlife officers soon reported that a man was unaccounted for.
"Attention to all units. Be advised there is a patient who has gone overboard on the boat," said a dispatcher sharing details of the crash to first responders.
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife officials say the incident occurred during one of the busiest weekends they've seen in years on the 3,600-acre lake that stretches 35 miles.
LEX NEWS went on patrol with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Officer James Brace to see how the department tries to keep Kentucky's crowded waters safe.
On the evening of the fatal crash, Brace said two Fish and Wildlife boats were on patrol, with one crew already conducting a boating under the influence arrest when the collision occurred.
"As that boat was dealing with the person that was boating under the influence, doing field sobriety, the other boat happened to come across the boat incident way up the lake some ways," Brace said.
Fish and Wildlife records received from another open records request, show six alcohol-related incidents or arrests on Herrington Lake over the past 2½ years, along with three incidents of reckless boat operation.
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Brace emphasized that boaters must follow rules similar to driving, including staying on the right side of the lake and operating vessels free from drugs or alcohol. Children under 12 must wear life jackets while boats are moving.
"A lot of our job is being proactive, going out, making sure people are obeying the laws, making sure they're being safe," Brace said.
With the vast area to patrol, Fish and Wildlife officials stress that all boaters share responsibility for water safety and should report dangerous behavior.
"We got to make sure everybody's being safe and taking care of everybody," Brace said. "The majority of people that come out on the waterways are good people and are out to have a good time."
The investigation into the fatal crash continues.
Leigh Searcy is committed to covering the stories that matter to you. If you have an idea, please reach out to Leigh at leigh.searcy@wlex.tv.
