PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Dmitri Tertyshny was killed when he fell out of a boat and was slashed by the propeller while on a trip to British Columbia.
The 22-year-old Russian was on the boat with two players from the minor-league Philadelphia Phantoms, Francis Belanger and Mihail Chernov, when the accident occurred Friday night on Okanagan Lake near Kelowna.
``He was kneeling up on the seats at the very front of the boat,'' Staff Sgt. Phillip Boissonneault of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said Saturday. ``The boat hit a wave, which caused Dmitri to lose his balance and fall forward overboard. And then the boat ran over top of him and he was struck by the propeller.''
Tertyshny had two goals and eight assists as a rookie last year in 62 games. He was drafted by the Flyers in the sixth round of the 1995 NHL entry draft but he continued to play in his hometown of Chelyabinsk, Russia, until joining the Flyers last season.
The players were in Kelowna for a power skating clinic.
``You worry about Tertyshny's family and you worry about the things you normally worry about when a young person passes away,'' Flyers team president and general manager Bob Clarke said Saturday. He said counseling will be available for players who were shaken up by the tragedy.
Tertyshny did not die right away, according to Boissonneault.
``He suffered some very severe lacerations to his neck,'' he said. Tertyshny, who was not wearing a life preserver, was bleeding severely, and likely severed his jugular vein, when he was pulled into the boat and likely died in the boat, Boissonneault added.
Boissonneault said a local woman identified as Michelle Monroe, who had met the players on the beach, was also on the boat. No information was immediately available about her.
Alcohol was consumed by the boating party but Belanger, who was operating the boat, was not legally impaired, Boissonneault said.
``We cannot prove any criminal responsibility by any of the individuals on board and there are no charges contemplated at this time,'' Boissonneault said.
Tertyshny is survived by his wife, Pauline, who still lives in Russia. A Flyers spokesman said the body will be returned to Russia for burial.
``He had a great sense of humor, he was outgoing,'' team captain Eric Lindros said. ``He was an all-star in the making. He was just a terrific player and loved the game.''
Lindros said he was in shock when he learned of his teammate's death Saturday morning.
``He will certainly be missed as a teammate first and foremost,'' Lindros said. ``He always put the team first; he worked extremely hard.''
© Copyright 1999 The Associated Press
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| year | team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM | +/- | PPG | SHG | GWG | SOG | sh% | 95-96 | St.Louis | 25 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 48 | -8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 33 | 6.1 | 96-97 | Los Angeles | 29 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 60 | -7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 54 | 7.4 | 97-98 | Los Angeles | 25 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 55 | -7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 0.0 | 97-98 | Los Angeles | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | E | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 98-99 | Chicago | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| year | team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM | +/- | PPG | SHG | GWG | SOG | sh% | 98-99 | Flyers | 13 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 8 | +4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 8.7 |
