'Shark Tank' star's wife charged in fatal Canada boat crash

OTTAWA, Canada - The wife of reality television star Kevin O'Leary was charged on Tuesday with the careless operation of a boat in a fatal crash this summer in Canada's backwoods.

Ontario Provincial Police laid the charges against Linda O'Leary, 56, under Canada's shipping act following a month-long investigation into the late-night collision on Lake Joseph that killed two people and seriously injured three.

A New York man operating the other boat, Richard Ruh, 57, has also been charged with failing to exhibit navigation lights.

Kevin O'Leary is one of five investors who decide how to spend their cash on ABC's Emmy Award-winning "Shark Tank."

He said last month that his wife was at the wheel when they were "in a tragic collision with another watercraft."

Police told AFP a large wakeboarding boat and a smaller ski boat collided on the lake where O'Leary has a cottage, around 220 miles (350 kilometers) north of Toronto.

Both boats quickly left the scene to seek medical attention on shore, said Provincial Police Constable Joe Scali.

According to media reports, several boats had been out on the lake to watch fireworks or stargaze when the crash happened around 11:30 pm.

Police have identified the dead as Gary Poltash, 64, from Florida, and Susanne Brito, 48, from Uxbridge, Ontario. Poltash died in the crash while Brito succumbed to her injuries in hospital days later.

Linda O'Leary is scheduled to make a court appearance in Parry Sound, Ontario on October 29.

amc/jm

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Over 30 trapped as boat catches fire off California

Rescuers were scrambling Monday to reach more than 30 people who were sleeping below deck when their scuba-diving boat caught fire off the California coast, with reports of "numerous fatalities."

A major rescue operation was underway for the dozens of people trapped aboard the 75-foot (22-meter) boat, near Santa Cruz Island off the coast from Los Angeles, the Coast Guard tweeted.

Bill Nash, a spokesperson for Ventura County, told CNN many people were feared dead.

"It's a large boat, and we know we have numerous fatalities. I don't have an exact number," Nash said.

But US Coast Guard chief Aaron Bemis, also on CNN, said: "Right now we can't confirm any fatalities."

"The five crew members were able to disembark because they were in the main cabin," he said. "The 34 passengers were below decks. The report we got was they were trapped by the fire."

"The fire was so intense that even after it was put out, we're not able to actually embark the vessel and, you know, look for survivors at this point."

"It's still ongoing."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Syrian girl dies in new migrant boat sinking off Greece

ATHENS, Greece - A five-year-old Syrian girl was found dead on Saturday and several other refugees were believed to be missing when their boat sank in an attempted crossing from Turkey to Greece, the state ANA agency reported.

The Greek coastguard rescued another 13 people and was looking for other survivors, the agency said.

The accident occurred north of the island of Lesbos, one of the Greek islands that have seen a heavy influx of refugees from war-torn Syria this year.

Many have perished trying to cross the Aegean Sea in search of a better future in Europe.

Earlier this month, harrowing pictures of three-year-old Syrian refugee Aylan Kurdi, whose body was found washed up on a Turkish beach after the boat carrying his family to the Greek island of Kos sank, caused an outpouring of emotion around the world, pressuring European leaders to step up their response to the refugee crisis.

The body of another four-year-old Syrian girl washed up on a beach in western Turkey on Friday.

Migrants have in recent days turned to Turkey's land borders with Greece and Bulgaria to avoid the sea voyage that has cost over 2,600 people their lives in the Mediterranean this year.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com