Sinking Conesus Lake Fishermen Rescued by Sheriff Marine Unit

GENESEO — A fishing boat carrying two men rapidly took water and capsized Monday afternoon on Conesus Lake.

The emergency was reported at 2:44pm on Monday to the Livingston County Sheriff’s 911 Center.

“Residents on West Lake Road just south of Long Point heard a distress signal coming from off shore and called in the emergency,” said Livingston County Sheriff Thomas Dougherty in a press release. “Two Sheriff’s patrol boats were immediately dispatched and arrived at the scene within three minutes.”

Sheriff Deputies Clark Young and Ken Ippolito arrived at the capsized boat to find two people clinging to floating objects. Only the bow of the boat was showing above the water. The two men, Thomas A. McIntyre II and Randy L. Knowles Sr., both from Perry, were pulled from the water into the Sheriff’s boat.

McIntyre then told deputies that he and Randy were fishing when the boat rapidly took on water and started to sink. They managed to grab a portable air horn before the boat disappeared and signaled for help.

The fully submerged boat was later towed to the State boat launch where a tow truck pulled it onto shore and put it on a trailer.

Neither McIntyre nor Knowles were hurt during the entire incident.