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First responders shifting to recovery effort for missing Niagara River boaters

An Erie County Sheriff boat on the Niagara River on July 24, 2025.
Emyle Watkins
/
BTPM NPR
First responders were called to the scene around 9:40 p.m., Wednesday, following a report that a boat collided with a concrete abutment near Navy Island and the north Grand Island Bridge. (FILE PHOTO)

State law enforcement now says the search and rescue operation for two missing boaters following a reported collision has now shifted to a recovery mission.

New York State Park Police has identified the two missing boaters as 66-year-old Jerome Williams of Buffalo, and 46-year-old Natalie Sansivero of Grand Island. Authorities say the two were onboard a boat that hit a concrete abutment near Navy Island and the north Grand Island Bridge.

Calls came into 911 around 9:40 p.m. on Wednesday, which resulted in a large response from park police, Niagara and Erie County Sheriff's offices, U.S. Coast Guard and various local police and fire agencies. First responders utilized water, aviation and land units throughout the area of the upper Niagara River.

Emergency crews called off the search around 3 a.m. Thursday, but resumed at daybreak. They then announced the transition from search and rescue to recovery shortly before noon.

Park police say they recovered the boat, which had extensive damage, but its two occupants were missing. While crews still search for the missing boaters, investigators are conducting accident reconstruction and examination of the boat to figure out what happened.

Ryan is the assistant managing editor of BTPM NPR. He first joined the organization in the summer of 2018 as an intern, rising through the ranks to weekend host and junior reporter before leaving in 2021. He then had stints in public service, Top 40 radio, and TV news production. It was there he was nominated for a New York State Emmy Award for coverage of the May 14 Mass Shooting in Buffalo. He re-joined BTPM NPR in August of 2024. In addition to editorial management duties, Ryan leads BTPM NPR’s Indigenous Affairs Desk. He is an enrolled Oneida citizen of Six Nations of the Grand River Reserve.