SOUTH BUFFALO TWP, Armstrong County — Alcohol was a factor in a jet ski accident that killed a 40-year-old man in the Allegheny River last month, according to authorities.

Thomas D. Uzmack’s blood-alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit July 13 when he crashed his recreational watercraft in South Buffalo Township, the Armstrong County Coroner’s Office said Sunday.

Uzmack of Penn Hills, Allegheny County, was riding about 4:30 p.m. when he went under the water after the jet ski capsized near his camp in Johnetta, state police said.

Uzmack was wearing a jet jacket but it apparently was not fastened and came off. Rescuers found the life vest on the water shortly after beginning their search.

Workers for the Army Corps of Engineers on a boat three days later spotted Uzmack’s body across from the Schenley Marina about 2½ miles down river from where he was last seen.

The discovery followed a search-and-recovery effort by divers and volunteer firefighters from several area departments including South Buffalo Township and Freeport. The initial effort was hampered by a strong rainstorm,

An autopsy July 16 determined Uzmack died of accidental freshwater drowning.

Armstrong County Coroner Brian Myers on Sunday released toxicology reports, which showed Uzmack’s blood-alcohol level was 0.237. A person with a level of 0.08 percent is legally intoxicated in Pennsylvania.

Uzmack worked as a field supervisor for Bos Solutions, a Marcellus Shale natural gas drilling company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta.