MAYVILLE, N.Y. — EDITOR'S NOTE: The video above was published on Saturday, July 9.
A captain with the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office died Saturday after he fell into Chautauqua Lake.
The accident happened when Officer David W. Bentley of Jamestown was attempting to board a boat some time past 1 p.m. Saturday. It happened near Martha’s Vineyard, which is in the Town of Ellery.
He was 62.
"For an unknown reason, Captain Bentley fell into the lake and was not able to get onto the boat or to shore," the sheriff's office said in a statement Sunday evening.
Family members and neighbors found Captain Bentley, then started CPR before the fire department and EMS arrived. He was taken to UPMC Chautauqua, where he was pronounced dead.
The Fluvanna Fire Department, County Dive Team, Chautauqua County EMS, and sheriffs deputies all responded to the scene.
Captain Bentley started working for the Chautauqua County Sheriff's Office in 1985 and was an officer who oversaw their patrol and special teams divisions. He had previously worked with police departments in the Town of Ellicott and in Fredonia.
Captain Bentley served as a patrol deputy, worked in DWI enforcement detail, and was an investigator with the Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force. He was eventually promoted to patrol sergeant and patrol lieutenant. He was also the Lieutenant In Charge of the drug task force for several years.
In January of 2019, Captain Bentley was promoted to captain. He was a graduate of the FBI National Academy.
Captain Bentley is survived by his wife Kim, children Erik and Kaitlyn, and his grandson Sawyer.
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