NEW YORK (AP) – A 24-foot fishing boat collided with a barge and capsized in the waters off Coney Island, killing two passengers and injuring two, authorities said Sunday.

A tugboat, which was navigating the barge through the Ambrose Channel, reported the collision about 11 p.m. Saturday.

A 61-year-old man was rescued by a passing fishing vessel, and a 46-year-old man was pulled from under the capsized boat by police scuba divers, the U.S. Coast Guard said. Both were listed in stable condition at area hospitals. Their names were not released, but officials said they were New Jersey residents.

John Isello, 43, of Hasbrouck Heights, N.J., and Robert Chacon, 47, of Saddle Brook, N.J., were also pulled from the waters by divers, police said. Chacon was pronounced dead at the scene, and Isello was airlifted to nearby Floyd Bennett Field, where he was pronounced dead.

The collision was under investigation by the Coast Guard. It was not immediately clear who owned the barge. The Coast Guard, police helicopters and two police harbor units responded to emergency calls from the tugboat.

AP-ES-10-21-07 1814EDT


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