This story has been updated.
Two women died Saturday afternoon after a pontoon boat flipped on Flagstaff Lake in western Maine, and a third woman is in critical condition at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor.
The incident occurred about 1:30 p.m. when seven people left their dock aboard a 2024 18-foot Sea-Doo Switch pontoon boat, according to Mark Latti, spokesperson for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
As the boat traveled near the beach at Cathedral Pines Campground, the bow began to dip. The driver, John Morris, 50, of Eustis, tried to raise it, but the boat flipped, throwing all seven passengers into the water about 180 feet from shore, Latti said.
Witnesses rushed to help and were able to get all seven people to the shore. Three of the passengers were unresponsive and CPR was performed on all three.
Farhana Nasir, 53, of Selden, New York, and Kiran Akbar, 23, of Lake Grove, New York, died at the scene. Noor Nasir, 22, of New York, was flown to Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center in critical condition.
No one aboard was wearing a life jacket. Alcohol is not believed to be a factor, Latti said.
The crash remains under investigation.