Updated at 8:03 p.m.
State police have identified the two boaters found dead Sunday in Crystal Lake in Barton as Lawrence Bouchard, 66, and Cheryl McLellan, 65, both of Glover, Vermont.
Police received reports Saturday night that an empty pontoon boat was floating on the south end of the lake, which runs along Route 5. On board, they discovered several personal items, including a wallet and cellphone that they used to identify the missing boaters.
Authorities found a truck and boat trailer nearby and learned that the two, along with their dog, launched their boat at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Troopers found Bouchard and McLellan’s bodies early the next morning. Their dog — described as small and white — remains missing.
The Chief Medical Examiner’s Office is conducting autopsies to determine the cause of death. However, authorities say their deaths are not considered suspicious.
This is at least the third fatal boating incident reported in Vermont this year. Barry Nelson, 73, fell into Lake Champlain from a small boat on June 28; his body was found two days later. In April, Martha Illick, 70, and Terrence Dinnan, 71, died after their boat capsized in Lewis Creek near Charlotte. Their 3-year-old grandson was with them at the time; he survived.
Vermont has ranked highly in recent years on the U.S. Coast Guard’s list of annual boating deaths, which is adjusted for the number of recreational boats registered in each state. Vermont reported 15 deaths per 100,000 registered vessels in 2020, compared to a national average of 6.5; 14.1 in 2019, compared to 5.2; and 10.5 in 2018, compared to 5.3. Since 2015, there has been at least one boating-related death each year, according to Vermont State Police.
Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact the Vermont State Police in Derby at 802-334-8881.
Correction: Due to inaccurate information published by the Vermont State Police, an earlier version of this story mischaracterized statistics about annual boating deaths in Vermont.
