Franklin Chiu, 41, had just popped the question to fellow competitive rower Vicky Lee, 44, in front of 17 of their teammates during a practice aboard a dragon boat at around 1:30 p.m. when the boat was caught in the wake of several fast-moving vessels near New York City’s Whitestone Bridge.
“The wake from the large boats made us waffle, and we turned toward the shore. That’s when we capsized,” said Chiu, a Manhattan lawyer.
Fortunately, the longtime couple and others on the boat were wearing life jackets and were quickly rescued by the Coast Guard.
