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Two men rescued from river after boat capsized

Posted at 3:56 PM, Jul 24, 2016
and last updated 2016-07-25 10:34:49-04

An 85-year old  man was rushed to the hospital after his boat capsized during Sunday's "Floatilla" event on the Niagara River.

City of Tonawanda Police said  Russell Nye and his son were riding in a small boat when the boat's motor malfunctioned. This happened near Tonawanda Island.

Nye tried to fix the motor, but fell into the river. The boat then capsized, causing the son to fall into the river as well.  Police say the son was wearing a life vest, but the father was not.

The City of Tonawanda Marine team was in the area and saw the capsize occur. They were able to rescue the father who was fully submerged. Crews performed CPR on the man at the scene. The man had a faint pulse when they loaded him into an ambulance.

The man was taken to DeGraff Memorial Hospital and then transferred Buffalo General where he is listed in critical condition.

The son was able to grab onto a rock until he was rescued by deputies from the Niagara County Sheriff's Office. He was uninjured.