Marine cops rescue dog owner stranded in creek

Suffolk County Marine Bureau officers rescued a woman who was stranded on an island in an East Patchogue creek after chasing her dog onto the ice Thursday afternoon.

Merry Locurto, 63, of East Patchogue, became stranded after she chased her dog, a Bijon-mix named Blueberry, out onto the iced-over Abets Creek behind her home, Suffolk County police said. She fell through, then managed to pull herself onto a small island in the middle of the creek.

According to police, a nearby kayaker rescued Blueberry from the ice and took the dog to the island, where Locurto was waiting.

Officers Charles Abbene, Edward Bodenmiller and Brian Flatley responded after a 911 caller reported that a woman was stranded in the middle of the creek. They pulled Locurto, Blueberry, the kayaker and his kayak onto their vessel and returned to shore.

Locurto was taken by South Country Ambulance to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Medical Center in East Patchogue for treatment and was released Thursday, police said. The dog, which was not hurt, was returned to Locurto's home by the uninjured kayaker.