Yacht captain guilty in fatal boat crash

Cranston, R.I. (AP) — The New Jersey captain of a 60-foot yacht that was involved in a fatal boat crash off the coast of Rhode Island has been found guilty of violating three Coast Guard navigation rules.

The Westerly Sun reports 76-year-old Cooper Bacon, of Cape May Court House, was found guilty Monday of charges brought against him by the state Department of Environmental Management. Each violation carries a maximum $100 fine.

The Coast Guard said Bacon’s yacht crashed into a 23-foot boat operated by 81-year-old Walter Krupinski, of Stonington, Connecticut, in 2015. Krupinski was killed.

A Coast Guard official testified that Bacon’s yacht was moving at 25 to 31 knots and had auto-navigation engaged just prior to the crash.

Krupinski’s widow says she’s pleased with the outcome of the trial.