ltdiver 3 #1 July 13, 2005 http://www.nj.com/news/expresstimes/pa/index.ssf?/base/news-1/1121159107203510.xml&coll=2 Collision on river kills Palmer Township man Tuesday, July 12, 2005 By PETER HALL The Express-Times A Palmer Township man was killed Sunday when a personal watercraft collided with his fishing boat on the St. Lawrence River in the Thousand Islands region of New York. William L. Winter Sr., 65, of the 2100 block of Stocker Mill Road in Palmer Township, was fishing Sunday evening with three of his grandsons from Bangor. A Sea Doo personal watercraft driven by Amber Lee Bamon, of Watertown, N.Y., cut across the path of Winter's boat and collided with it about 5:40 p.m., New York State Police reported. Winter and his grandsons were thrown from the boat. The grandsons, Craig Stocker, 16; Ryan Stocker, 14; and Matt Stocker, 12; all of Bangor, suffered minor injuries. Winter was killed. An autopsy was scheduled Monday, police said. Bamon was hospitalized in Burlington, Vt., with internal injuries. Charges are pending the completion of an investigation, police said. Winter's family gathered Monday in Hammond, N.Y., where he had rented cabins for fishing trips for about 15 years, said his son, William Winter Jr., of Maryland. "Pretty much everyone is in shock and we're doing as well as we can," Winter Jr. said. "We'll all miss him very much." A dedicated family man, Winter Sr. spent as much time as possible with his grandchildren and attended all of their sporting events, Winter Jr. said. A lifelong resident of the Easton area, Winter Sr. had retired about five years ago from the U.S. Customs Service, where he was a deputy chief inspector. He worked predominantly at the airport and seaports in Newark, his son said. Winter Sr. began his career with the government in the early 1970s as one of the first Federal Air Marshals, a group of armed undercover officers that secretly flew on airliners as part of an effort to prevent hijackings. Before becoming a sky marshal, Winter worked with his father, George Winter Sr., and his brother, George Winter Jr., in their family construction business. William Winter Sr. was a master plumber, his son said. George Winter Jr. and William Winter Sr. also managed the Bethlehem-Easton Airport in Bethlehem Township during the late 1960s. The airport was a subject of controversy before it closed in 1968 because neighboring landowners objected to skydiving activities there.An avid skydiver, William Winter Sr. was a certified master parachute rigger. Well known in the Easton area, William Winter Sr. was a past president of the Easton Optimists Club and a past president of the Palmer Township Athletic Association. In addition to his son, he is survived by three daughters, Susan Stackhouse, of Palmer, Karen Stocker, of Bangor, and Lauren Winter, a student at Rochester Institute of Technology; seven grandchildren; and a great-grandchild. His second wife, Dee Ellen Winter, died in 1998. Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ACMESkydiver 0 #2 July 13, 2005 BSBD~Jaye Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
diverdriver 7 #3 July 13, 2005 That name sounds familiar but can't place him right now. Damn shame that collision happened. Just out fishing with the grandkids and wham!Chris Schindler www.diverdriver.com ATP/D-19012 FB #4125 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ltdiver 3 #4 July 14, 2005 QuoteThat name sounds familiar but can't place him right now. Damn shame that collision happened. Just out fishing with the grandkids and wham! Yeah, sucks, doesn't it. Wonder if any of the other seasoned skydivers knew him. I thought about e-mailing Pat Works but he's changed his address. ltdiver Don't tell me the sky's the limit when there are footprints on the moon Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
