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It was a frantic Sunday evening on the Long Island Sound, as the Smithtown Harbormaster and Suffolk County Police Marine Bureau rescued six people from danger in two simultaneous water emergencies.
The first call came at 6:10 p.m., when three Central Islip men kayaking about a mile north of Nissequogue were left adrift after a kayak began taking on water.
Police said a double kayak carrying Jorge Alexander, 39, and Anibal Canetas, 45, partially sank, tossing Alexander into the Sound. He clung to the side of the boat while Miguel Dominguez, 58, in a nearby single kayak, called 911 and stayed by his side.
Marine Bureau boats Marine Bravo and Marine Delta, along with the Smithtown Harbormaster, reached the scene about 6:40 p.m. Officers John Dreyer and David Froehlich pulled Canetas from the double kayak, while Officers John Falcone and Kevin Yoli rescued Alexander.
The Harbormaster escorted Dominguez back to Kings Park Bluff. All three declined medical treatment.
But the night was far from over.
Three others in distress
As the rescue boats returned to shore, officers heard shouts for help from two swimmers — Ademir Capunay, 40, of White Plains, and Felix Covnelio Cortes, 21, of Queens. The two men were caught in a riptide on the west side of the Nissequogue River.
A man on a jet ski who tried to assist them had also been thrown into the water, and all three were clinging to the jet ski to stay afloat.
Marine Bureau officers tossed a life ring to the swimmers and pulled one onto each boat. The jet skier, wearing a life vest, managed to get back onto his craft with help.
All three were brought to shore, where they refused medical treatment.
Photos: Courtesy of Smithtown Harbormaster
