Crime & Safety

Aptos and Scotts Valley Men Die in Canoe Accident

Nicholas and Raymond Nell drowned over the weekend when their canoe capsized on Lexington Reservoir.

A canoe accident resulted in the tragic death of two local men over the weekend.

On May 5 at 1:03 p.m., a canoe carrying four people capsized on Lexington Resevoir — the body of water off Highway 17 next to Los Gatos.

The boat was about 200 feet offshore and none of the passengers were wearing lifevests, according to the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office.

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While two people were able to swim ashore, Nicholas Nell, 35, of Scotts Valley and Raymond Nell, 30, of Aptos, were not.

Nicholas's body was found by a dive team an hour after the accident about 20 feet from the shore, 10 feet underwater. Raymond was found 193 feet from shore, 38 feet below the surface, the Deputy Kurtis Stenderup said.

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Both men were transported to Good Samaritan Hospital in San Jose, where they were pronounced dead.

The cause of the boating accident is still under investigation.


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