One elderly man saved, another dead after boating accident

NEW YORK (WABC) -- There was a dramatic rescue at sea for one man, but tragedy at sea for his friend.

Two men, both in their 80s, went fishing Tuesday morning in Lower New York Bay.

But then, there was trouble.

Ivan Delistovich's boat had just overturned and thrown him and an 84-year-old friend, neither wearing life preservers, into Raritan Bay.

"When the boat turned over, I lined up under the boat," Delistovich said.

Delistovich swam for his life. He and his friend, Anthony Accardo were both alive, both holding onto parts of the hull, when another fishing boat came by.

"He saw me, he saw Tony, why didn't he throw the life preserver, why didn't he throw the line?" Delistovich said.

But the people in the boat didn't throw the line.

"I keep yelling to him, 'Please, please, throw the life preserver, do something!' But he did nothing," Delistovich said.

And Tony couldn't hold on.

"I saw Tony drift away from the boat," Delistovich said.

Anthony Accardo did not survive. But in time, the Fire Department Harbor Unit did come, and Delistovich was still holding on.

"We saw the first person clinging onto the bough of the boat, almost going under, so we pulled up and put out a line for him and pulled him into the boat," said Brian Murphy, of the FDNY.

Mr. Delistovich is grateful to the fire department, but he is troubled and he is furious with the men who had a chance to save his friend of 30 years, but instead just rode away.