Six on fishing trip rescued from boat after it runs aground in the Great South Bay, Suffolk police say

Six people, including three children, were rescued Saturday night by Suffolk County Police Marine Bureau officers after their boat ran aground during a fishing trip in the Great South Bay, officials said.

Police said the incident occurred about 10:40 p.m. and two of those on the boat, including an 11-year-old boy, were injured.

Steven Kilmeade, 49, of Bayport, was operating his 33-foot Egg Harbor sport fishing boat east when the vessel hit a sandbar northeast of East Channel Buoy No. 11, off East Fire Island, police said. A passenger, Dustin Damrau, 40, of Medford, was thrown forward and knocked unconscious by a head injury.

Kilmeade called 911 and two Suffolk Police Marine Bureau vessels responded. Due to the shallow water, Marine Bureau officers used a smaller police boat, Marine Papa, to get to the scene. Once onboard the fishing boat, officers provided first aid to Damrau, preparing to move him using Marine Papa to the larger police boat, Marine Kilo. He was then taken to Marine Bureau Headquarters at Timber Point in Great River for transport to a hospital by Exchange Ambulance. His condition was not available Sunday.

Damrau's 11-year-old son suffered minor injuries. Passengers Eric Lipuma, 41, of Bayport, and his 10-year-old son and 14-year-old friend, were uninjured. All the passengers were removed from the accident vessel and transported to Timber Point. Kilmeade remained with the vessel to assist in salvage efforts.

A commercial salvage vessel from Reynolds TowBoatUS responded from Bay Shore to pull the vessel from the sandbar.