North Huntingdon teen drowns in kayak accident in Erie
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Funeral arrangements have been set for a 17-year-old North Huntingdon girl who drowned in a kayak accident off Presque Isle in Lake Erie Friday night, the Erie County coroner said.
The body of Madison Gallagher was found Sunday afternoon near the base of Presque Isle, where she was pronounced dead at about 2 p.m., said Coroner Lyell Cook. He ruled her death an accidental drowning.
Gallagher was kayaking with a male companion at about 5:30 p.m. Friday when the boat overturned after going into the lake from a private property, said Michael Parker, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Neither kayaker was wearing a life preserver, Parker said.
A person operating a jet ski was able to rescue Gallagher’s male companion, but when he returned to where the boat had flipped, she could not be located, Cook said.
Her body was located early Sunday afternoon and authorities were notified, Cook said.
The Erie Fire Department, along with the U.S. Coast Guard and Millcreek Township fire department, were involved in a search for Gallagher, said Erie Deputy Chief Fred Gillesepie.
Divers from the Erie Fire Department and North East Volunteer Fire Department assisted in the search for Gallagher on Friday night, Gillespie said.
Visitation for family and friends will be 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday at the James F. Kutch Funeral Homes & Crematory, 433 Lincoln Highway, East McKeesport.
Joe Napsha is a TribLive reporter covering Irwin, North Huntingdon and the Norwin School District. He also writes about business issues. He grew up on Neville Island and has worked at the Trib since the early 1980s. He can be reached at jnapsha@triblive.com.
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