BY JENN McDOWELL
A fisherman on Lake Winnipesaukee discovered the body of a Hooksett man missing for almost a year between Diamond and Welch Islands on Friday, Sept. 22, around 7:15 a.m.
Dental records determined the body was that of James Sylvestre, 45, who went missing from a Halloween cruise on Oct. 28, 2006, on the Mount Washington cruise ship after witnesses saw him leaning over the railing.
Sylvestre was on the cruise with his wife, Karen, when he reportedly fell from the ship’s lower deck into the lake waters.
New Hampshire Marine Patrol and Fish and Game scoured the waters for Sylvestre following the incident, but their search was somewhat stifled by high winds and choppy water.
Juanita Sylvestre, the victim’s mother, expressed eagerness to bury her son after a year.
“I’m glad they found my son’s body. I just want to let him rest now,” she said.
Tammy Boucher, president of the public relations company representing Mount Washington Cruises, said the cruise line has an excellent safety track record.
“Safety is an ongoing issue with the Mount. The have a 135-year history of strong safety,” Boucher said.
Capt. James Morash of the Mount Washington released a media statement after hearing of the body’s discovery.
“On behalf of the crew and owners of the M/S Mount Washington, I want to extend our heartfelt condolences to the Sylvestre family,” the statement says. “We hope the fact that their loved one has been found brings them some sense of comfort. We will continue to keep them in our thoughts and prayers.”
According to reports, the incident is still under investigation, but it appears Sylvestre simply fell from boat, and that there was no foul play involved.
Witnesses to the fall notified the crew that someone had fallen overboard, and the crew made efforts to save him by throwing out a life line and keeping the boat’s spotlights on.
Gilford, Laconia and Alton fire and police departments, state police, Marine Patrol and New Hampshire Fish and Game all joined in the search, combing the waters and searching the surface with helicopters.
The search was postponed after a few hours due to darkness and poor weather conditions which prevented divers from entering the water safely.
Several more days passed, and authorities found no trace of Sylvestre, which led them to call off the search and rule his disappearance a drowning.