Marine units rescue 6 people from Long Island waters in separate incidents
Suffolk marine officers and the Smithtown Harbormaster rescued three kayakers, along with two swimmers and a jet skier, in separate incidents off Long Island Sunday. Credit: Smithtown Harbormaster
Suffolk Marine officers and a town harbormaster's unit were involved in two separate rescues on Long Island Sound — one, involving a group of kayakers, the other, two swimmers and a Jet Ski operator who had come to their aid.
Police said two Marine Bureau units and the Town of Smithtown Harbormaster were alerted to the first incident when one of the kayakers, a 58-year-old man from Central Islip, was able to place a 911 call at 6:10 p.m. Sunday.
Police said the man was in a single kayak and that two others, ages 39 and 45, also of Central Islip, were in a double kayak when it began to take on water. One of the men in the double kayak went into the water, clinging to the single kayak, police said.
The three responding units located the kayakers at about 6:40 p.m., police said.
Operated by officers John Dreyer and David Froehlich, Marine Bureau Bravo rescued one man while Marine Bureau Delta, operated by officers John Falcone and Kevin Yoli, rescued another, police said. The Harbormaster's unit rescued the third man and all three marine units delivered the kayakers to shore at Kings Park Bluff, police said.
They were evaluated by first responders on shore but declined further medical treatment, police said.
While at the bluff area, police were alerted that two swimmers, a 40-year-old Westchester man and a 21-year-old man from Queens, had been caught in a riptide near the Nissequogue River. They also learned that a nearby personal watercraft operator who had come to their rescue had been pulled into the water while trying to assist them.
The two Marine Bureau units headed to that scene, where they found a male watercraft operator and the two swimmers in the water, hanging onto the watercraft.
The swimmers were pulled onto the rescue boats using a life ring, while police said the watercraft operator, who was wearing a life vest, was assisted back onto his watercraft. All three were returned to shore, but also declined medical treatment, police said.
John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”
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