Oneida Lake (Oswego County)- According to Sheriff Robert M.

Oneida Lake (Oswego County)- According to Sheriff Robert M. Maciol; on Thursday, 07/09/2026, at about 3:50pm, the Oneida County Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol Unit was patrolling Oneida Lake in Oneida County when they were contacted that there was an overturned pontoon boat, with an unknown amount of people in the water, in the vicinity of Dunham Island and Frenchman Island, in the Oswego County jurisdiction of Oneida Lake. Oneida County Marine-1 was in the vicinity of Buoy-107, near the Verona Beach Lighthouse, when the call came in and immediately responded, and was the first to arrive on the scene, at about 4:11pm. Upon arrival, all parties were out of the water and were either sitting on the towing tube or were on top of the overturned pontoon boat and uninjured.

There were 7 souls onboard the vessel and 1 soul on the towing tube when the boat capsized while they were enjoying a fun day of tubing out on the water. The vessel was a 21ft, 2023 Tahoe pontoon boat that the parties involved had rented from Brewerton Boatyard on the Oneida River. The owner of Brewerton Boat Yard arrived on scene shortly after law enforcement, transferred all parties over to his pontoon boat, and then transported them back to shore at the business after they refused medical. The vessel was salvaged by TowBoatU.S. Oneida Lake and towed to Brewerton Boat Yard to be hauled out for inspection/repair.

The subsequent investigation by the Oneida County Sheriff's Office revealed that the skipper, Amanda L. Manciocchi, age-31, of Avoca, NY, was pulling Tyler S. Hite, age-36, of Columbia Crossroads, PA, at about 25-30mph when Amanda turned the vessel hard to port, causing Tyler to fall off the tube as it overturned, the tube then torpedoed under the water causing the vessel to trip and then capsize to its port side.

The other souls onboard the capsized vessel were as follows:

Devin S. Manciocchi, age-34, from Avoca, NYBrett W. Miller, age-46, from York, PASophia N. Miller, age-13, from York, PAPaxton S. Hite, age-5, from Columbia Crossroads, PAHaven M. Yanchuk, age-12, from Troy, PAAden T. Yanchuck, age-10, from Troy, PA

All of the children were wearing Personal Floatation Devices (PFD's) at the time of this boat accident, which more than likely saved their lives. Alcohol use was not a factor in this boating accident. The skipper, Amanda Manciocchi, was issued a ticket for Reckless Operation, an Unclassified Misdemeanor, under the NYS Navigation Law, returnable to Vienna Town Court at a later date.

The Oneida County Sheriff's Office was assisted on the scene by the Brewerton FD Boat, South Bay FD Boat, and the Cleveland FD Boat during this SAR mission.