Father, son rescued from boat on sandbar

A father and his 6-year-old son were rescued by a Nassau County police helicopter late Friday after their 16-foot 1987 Suzuki boat became grounded on a sandbar near Great Island Channel, off Seaford and Massapequa, police said Saturday.

A Nassau police spokeswoman said the Amityville father, 36, called police from his cellphone at about 11:30 p.m. reporting the vessel was stranded a short distance from Seamans Island. The police Marine Bureau went to the scene, the spokeswoman said, but was unable to get its boat close enough to rescue the duo because of shallow water.

A police helicopter was dispatched and landed at a nearby marsh, with officers then able to walk to the boat and airlift father and son to Wantagh Park. From there, they were taken home by patrol car.

No injuries were reported, and the man planned to return Saturday at high tide to collect the boat, the spokeswoman said. The police did not name the boaters Saturday.