LOCKPORT, N.Y. — After being closed for two months, the Lockport Cave is reopening for its throwback lantern-lit, guided walking tour.
One person died and several suffered minor injuries in June after one of their tour boats capsized at the privately operated tourist site.
It's located adjacent to the Erie Canal in downtown Lockport. On the walking tour was the Keller family.
"It was really interesting to learn about the history. I like the mix of being outside and being underground in the cave," Kim Keller says.
They came from Long Island in their family RV. Despite what happened prior, they said they'll come back if the boat tour starts operating again.
"I think accidents can happen anywhere. I hope it doesn't hurt the business, but we didn't let it dissuade us from trying it out," Kim says.
Jason Dool, The City of Lockport Building Inspector tells 2 On Your Side that none of the attraction's code violations have been fixed. Dool declined to go on camera but said He's planning to meet with Lockport's Mayor Michelle Roman and the cave's owner, Tom Callahan, soon to see if the guided tours can continue.
"It just seems like a very difficult thing to do. The moon and the stars had to align for all of that to really happen," resident Dan Quinones says.
2 On Your Side also reached out to John Percy, President of Destination Niagara USA. They organized the initial tour. He declined to go on camera or discuss the situation but says he's anticipating lawsuits to be filed related to the accident.
There were about 28 passengers and one boat operator on a small tour boat with benches when the boat became unbalanced and capsized in a 300-foot water section of the underground man-made cavern. Life vests were apparently not required in the cavern.
Officials say the boat can normally carry up to 40 people.
"If there need to be safety inspections or whatever, fine. But I really do hope it comes back," says resident John Lang.
After two months we are open for business for our throwback, lantern-lit, guided walking tour.
All 29 were ejected from the boat and landed in the water. Authorities received a call around 11:30 a.m. and responded within minutes. EMS responders launched inflatable boats and breached through the side of the cave with a sledgehammer. They rescued 16 while the others were able to wade through the five-to-six-foot water to safety. Eleven were taken to the hospital with injuries ranging from a broken arm to hypothermia from the 55-to-60 degree water.
Responders were unable to reach one man, Harshad Shah, 65, who died after being stuck under the boat for an hour.
Shah was born in Baroda, Gujarat, India, and lived in Niagara Falls. Shah was also the president of the Budget Host Inn in Niagara Falls.
EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this story contained a video of boat that is a part of the Lockport Locks and Erie Canal cruises. These boats and Lockport Locks do not have any connection in any way to the event that happened at Lockport Cave in June nor are these boats used by Lockport Cave. The Lockport Locks boats are inspected twice a year by the U.S. Coast Guard and approved to navigate federal waters which they have done safely for decades and in the case Lockport Locks, since 1987.
