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Two fishermen die on Alden lake

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Authorities say two men have died after their boat capsized while they were fishing on a pond in Alden.

The Erie County Sheriff's Office says it responded Thursday morning to a report of an overturned rowboat on North Milgrove Lake, off Billo Road. New York State Police later identified them as Paul Nowak, 62 of Akron, and Russell Bolognese, 71 of Amherst.

Police said a group of friends were at the privately owned lake fishing, when one of them stood up on the boat, causing it to capsize. Nowak was heard yelling for help.

Police said friends of both men were able to locate Nowak and return him to shore to administer life-saving measures while others continued to look for Bolognese. Once troopers arrived, they entered the water and assisted with the search. 

One of the troopers was a prior member of the State Police Underwater Recovery Team and was able to locate Bolognese about 15 minutes later and attempt rescusitation. However, police say both men were unresponsive to medical treatment. 

Both victims were declared dead at the scene and were not wearing safety jackets at the time of the incident. An autopsy is scheduled to determine the cause of death.

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