Lake Catholic Graduate Dies in Boat Explosion

A  graduate and Mentor native died Monday evening after there was an explosion on a boat she and her husband were riding in Pennsylvania.

Erin Carlisle died instantly, according to a story in the Erie Times-News. She was 25 years old.

Carlisle, whose maiden name is Gaydos, graduated from Lake Catholic High School in 2004. She married Ryan Carlisle on May 15, 2010. They lived in Erie, PA.

The boat – a 32-foot Wellcraft named Jimmy Time – had experienced mechanical problems before Monday night, Erie's chief fire inspector told the Erie Time-News. According to the inspector, the boat's gasket was allowing fuel vapors to enter the engine compartment instead of blowing them out.

The boat exploded when the operator tried to start it and it backfired, the operator said.

Ryan Carlisle was also on the boat and was one of six other people injured in the explosion at Erie Yacht Club.

Erin and Ryan Carlisle met as freshmen at Gannon University in 2004. They lived in the same residence hall – she on the fourth floor, he on the first.

Erin Carlisle worked as a physical therapist at HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital, working with patients who have traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries.