A celebratory Hudson River boat cruise ended in tragedy when it crashed into a construction barge on Friday night, throwing members of a wedding party overboard.
The body of the bride-to-be, Lindsay Stewart, was pulled from the water near the scene of the incident on Saturday. According to the New York Post, police believe they have now discovered the body of the best man, Mark Lennon, a 30-year-old from Pearl River, N.Y., who had been missing since the accident.
The 35-year-old driver of the boat, Jojo K. John, was allegedly intoxicated at the time of the crash, and was charged with vehicular manslaughter and assault at his hospital bed on Saturday.
"At this point, we have probable cause to believe [John] operated the boat while intoxicated, and that's the basis for the charge," Rockland County Undersheriff Robert Van Cura told reporters.
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The groom-to-be, 35-year-old Brian Bond, managed to swim to shore, but was hospitalized with serious injuries.
“I can’t believe this happened . . . I don’t have the words,” his mother Jean said.
“My son is still in shock and he’s heavily sedated. The doctors say he’s going to have surgery on Monday,” his father, Bruce, said.
The actual wedding was scheduled for August 10, though the bride-to-be had taken off work for two weeks to celebrate with friends.
“I can tell you that it’s very dark on the river . . . It is difficult to see the barges, which are low in the water and dark,” Van Cura said.
“The fact that this young woman was planning to be married soon brings more stress to the family and more heartache," he added.
