By Gabriel Rom
A dragon boat on its way to Whitestone capsized in the East River Sunday afternoon near College Point, turning what was supposed to be a romantic trip into something far more dramatic. One of the 19 people onboard planned to propose to his girlfriend.
The wake from larger vessels came over the walls of the dragon boat–a narrow Chinese craft propelled by rowers–and capsized it, the FDNY said. By the time a rescue call was made at 1:39 p.m, the boat was completely submerged.
In total, authorities said, there were 19 people on the boat, all of whom had flotation devices. Luckily, boaters were only about 50 feet away from shore when the incident occurred. No one was injured.
According to a report in The New York Times, once ashore the passengers’ spirits remained high, as the groom managed to keep the ring and his fiancée.
Reach reporter Gabriel Rom by e-mail at grom@
