Mr. Harbison, an employee of URS Corp., was in a small watercraft surveying for artifacts in advance of a General Electric Co. dredging project next year on the upper Hudson River near Thompson Island.
He was headed ashore with another man at 4:30 p.m. when the boat's engine failed, setting it adrift, according to Warren County Coroner Timothy Murphy.
The craft went over a small dam and capsized, trapping Mr. Harbison in a current. The other man was thrown clear and swam ashore to summon help.
Though he was an experienced swimmer and wore a life vest, Mr. Harbison spent too long in the 38-degree water, Murphy said. He died that night of heart arrhythmia and hypothermia at Glens Falls Hospital.
Murphy termed the death accidental. New York state police are investigating.
As principal archaeologist for URS in Burlington, Mr. Harbison made sure no archaeologically significant objects were overlooked before construction began. He loved his work and was good at it, said Don Harbison III, his brother. He had worked for the firm for more than a dozen years.
Mr. Harbison was a member of the class of 1988 at Central Bucks West High School in Doylestown. He graduated from the University of Delaware in 1992 and earned a master's degree from Temple University last year.
He was born to a Navy family in Corpus Christi, Texas. Before Lambertville, where he had resided for a decade, Mr. Harbison lived in Maryland, Virginia, Maine, New York, Florida, Massachusetts, Britain and the Azores.
Mr. Harbison met his wife, Jennifer Marston, while working at URS. They married in 2003.
He enjoyed time with his family and was an avid outdoorsman, who loved kayaking, fishing, and sailing. He had traveled to South America, Europe, and Puerto Rico, and read widely.
"He was the best storyteller, and quick with humor," Mr. Harbison's brother said.
In addition to his brother and wife, Mr. Harbison is survived by his parents, Donald and Joanne; a son, Aidan J.; a daughter, Luna G.; grandmother Julie F.; and a sister.
A memorial service will be at 1 p.m. today at St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church, 1 Riverstone Circle, New Hope. Calling will be from noon until the service. Interment is private.
Donations may be made to a scholarship fund for Aidan and Luna Harbison, in care of Jennifer Marston, Box 661, Lambertville, N.J. 08530.
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