Morris County Man Sentenced After Fatal Boating Incident

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ - A 25-year-old Lake Hopatcong man was sentenced to three years probation conditioned upon 364 days imprisonment in the Morris County in connection to a fatal boating incident where he was driving drunk, according to the Morris County Prosecutor's Office.

The sentence for Nicholas Zarantonello stems from a single-vessel boating incident that occurred on Lake Hopatcong in Jefferson Township on Aug. 3, 2019. The investigation revealed that Zarantonello was the driver of a pontoon boat on Lake Hopatcong with two passengers, police said. While traveling on Lake Hopatcong, one of the passengers went overboard and did not resurface. His body was located in the water in Lake Hopatcong on Aug. 5, 2019, police said.

Further investigation revealed that Zarantonello had consumed alcohol prior to operating the pontoon boat and was intoxicated at the time of the incident, police said.

Zarantonello had previously entered a guilty plea on July 20, 2020 to one count of third degree
Strict Liability Vehicular Homicide before Judge Stephen J. Taylor. He also entered a guilty plea to the boating regulation violation of Operating a Vessel Under the Influence, police said.

Zarantonello was sentenced on Friday, and also must complete of 200 hours of community service and forfeit his right to operate a boat for one year and to operate a motor vehicle for three
months, authorities said.

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