PORTLAND (AP) – The capsizing of a tour boat in New York state, in which 20 elderly passengers died, is prompting a call to review Maine’s oversight of freshwater ferries and excursion vessels.

Rep. John Robinson, R-Raymond, said he had heard concerns about safety on freshwater passenger boats even before the Oct. 2 tour boat accident on Lake George, N.Y.

Robinson contacted various state agencies to find out which one has oversight over freshwater ferries, but said his calls were mostly passed from one agency to another.

He now has asked the Department of Transportation and the Attorney General’s office to review state regulations and create more comprehensive state oversight of passenger boats on lakes and rivers.

“I will say it’s a little disturbing that there doesn’t seem to be any agency at the state level willing to step up to the plate and take responsibility here,” said Robinson, whose district includes the Sebago Lake region.

The Coast Guard oversees the licensing and inspection of passenger boats that operate in salt water.

On fresh water, the state Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife oversees regulations for boats carrying passengers for hire. Agency rules require boat owners to show a boat is safe to operate to gain a certificate to carry passengers, but the only provision for inspections says boats “may be examined from time to time.”

To pilot a passenger vessel on fresh water, a person must pass a 25-question test administered by the department. The license can be renewed through the mail each year for $4.

Robert Hawley, who has run the passenger and car ferry to Frye Island on Sebago Lake for seven years, said he has never had contact with a state safety regulator. The ferry is owned by the Town of Frye Island.

Hawley said it is common practice to load the 65-foot boat so tightly that cars must fold their mirrors to fit. Passengers, who ride in their cars, would have a hard time escaping in case of a fire or sinking, he said.

“Sometimes it’s actually packed so tightly I have to climb a wall to get up to the wheelhouse,” he said. “No one could get out in case of an emergency.”

Following the fatal accident in New York, Gov. George Pataki said his state’s boating safety standards need to be toughened. He singled out a state law that kept authorities from giving the captain of the tour boat an alcohol test the day of the accident.

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Information from: Portland Press Herald, https://www.pressherald.com

AP-ES-10-10-05 1100EDT