P-J file photo by Katrina Fuller

Douglas Conroe, Chautauqua Lake Association executive director, has reported that at 1 p.m. Tuesday, a lake vegetation harvester encountered rough water and capsized off the Lakewood shoreline while being towed back to the Chautauqua Lake Association headquarters for service.

Just before it capsized, the harvester’s operator was able to move to safety on the towing vessel. There were no personal injuries involved.

The 1982 harvester began to show evidence that it was taking on water so CLA staff began to tow it to the maintenance shop. Efforts to right the vessel at the time were unsuccessful. The Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office was notified of the incident and CLA personnel collaborated with the Sheriff’s Navigation Division to assure site safety. CLA staff installed a warning buoy at the site along with placing night-time flashing warning lights on portions of the vessel that remain above the lake surface. Salvage operations resumed Wednesday and continued until noon with unsuccessful results. Operations have been discontinued while the CLA assembles additional resources. Work is scheduled to resume Thursday.

“We are so thankful that there was no personal injury or loss of life involved with this unfortunate experience,” Conroe said. “The harvester operator is to be complimented for his awareness of the situation and for his quick thinking that resulted in what could otherwise have been a much worse situation

“He has been reassigned to a different piece of equipment,” Conroe continued. “Our harvesting operations are continuing with our other five harvesters while we work to salvage the capsized harvester and we have every expectation that we will be able to return it to service at some future date.”