Erich Lindhorst was arraigned in the Town of Skaneateles Court this afternoon. Bail was set at $5000 cash $5000 bond. The victim, Kyle Crosley is recovering in the ICU and his condition has been upgraded to “stable.”
The Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office reports that Sheriff’s Deputies have charged a Cortland County man in connection with the boating accident that critically injured another man yesterday evening on Skaneateles Lake.
Sheriff’s Deputies say 28 year old Erich Lindhorst of Cortland, New York was under the influence of alcohol while operating a 19 foot Sea Ray vessel on Skaneateles Lake yesterday evening that critically injured a friend. Lindhorst and a group of friends were in the “Sandy Beach” area of the lake, when friend Kyle Crosley (28) of Penfield New York, who had been swimming at the stern of the vessel, was struck by the propeller after Lindhorst started and placed the vessel in reverse.
Several witnesses called 911 to report the incident, while two trauma doctors nearby, rushed to Crosley’s aid, providing life saving measures before he was taken by helicopter to Upstate University Hospital. While Crosley remains in critical condition, deputies assigned to the Navigation Unit charged Lindhorst with vehicular assault in the 1st degree and boating while intoxicated. He was also issued tickets for operating a vessel with an expired registration, no/inadequate visual distress signals, no fire extinguisher and no type 4 personal floatation device on board.
Lindhorst is currently being held in the Onondaga County Justice Center and is scheduled to be arraigned sometime this morning in Skaneateles.
