Four Injured After Pontoon Boat Crashes Onto Shore In Belgrade

A pontoon boat on Great Pond in Belgrade crashed into the shore Wednesday evening behind the Village Inn Restaurant.

The crash occurred just before 6:00 p.m. while the occupants a new 22-foot Harris pontoon boat attempted to dock the watercraft, the Maine warden Service said Thursday.

The owner of the boat, James Julia, 71, of South China, jumped off the boat to tie it to the dock and then realized he left it in reverse.

Another occupant, Joseph Larue, 76, of Knoxville, Tennessee, was then asked to shut the boat off. Larue, an inexperienced boater, pushed the throttle forward, sending it onshore, the warden service said.

The watercraft struck a small table occupied by four people, and it also struck a picnic table, where four other individuals were eating.

Four people involved in the incident suffered minor injuries.