April 21, 2023
From State Police: On 04/22/23, at approximately 5:00 p.m. troopers from SP Horseheads responded to Miracle Lane in the town of Big Flats for a capsized canoe with a possible drowning victim. Upon arrival at the scene, the canoe was located but could not be reached due to the location from the shoreline and the river conditions. At the time of the occurrence, a group of young adults were traveling down the river in kayaks and canoes. One of the canoes was occupied by two females wearing life vests, which struck a downed tree causing the canoe to capsize. One of the females was able to free herself and get to shore but the other became trapped underneath the canoe. The canoe was eventually dislodged from the tree by the Swift Water Rescue Teams from the Wellsburg and Southport Fire Departments. The second female, a 22-year-old from Prattsburg, NY was then located underneath the canoe and was determined to be deceased. The name of the victim is not being released at this time. The Chemung County Sheriff’s Office, West Elmira Police Department, and fire departments from West Elmira, Golden Glow and Big Flats also assisted at the scene.
