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Smithtown Bay Constables plucked six boaters from rough seas last night after their boat was pushed into rocks and started taking on water, officials said.
It was described as a “daring rescue.”
The distress call came in at exactly 9:24 p.m. from the 18-foot vessel, with five men and one woman on board.
The boaters were off the coast of Cranes Neck in Smithtown Bay.
“This could have been a terrible tragedy,” Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim said in a statement issued this morning.
Smithtown Department of Public Safety Bay Constables Daniel Shannon, David Rosenberg and Sergeant Scott Roberts were first to respond to the location in 30 knot winds and heavy sea conditions.
They found the wind and seas had pushed the boat slamming into rocks.
The Bay Constables were able to navigate the rocky waters and extract the passengers from the disabled vessel and get them onto the Smithtown Patrol Boat.
Wehrheim credited the responders for altering “the evening’s conclusion.”
The Suffolk PD Marine Bureau and police aviation units also responded.
“The vital caliber of communication, expertise and partnership that goes into a water rescue, under rough weather conditions like last night, is a true testament to the exceptionalism of our first responders, protecting our community every day,” Wehrheim added.
The six boaters (Ronnie Trejo, Omar Cruz, Jamie Agala, Carlos Alberto, Non Erasmo, and Josue Trejo) were wet and suffering from exposure to the elements.
They were returned to the Stony Brook boat ramp where EMS crews from Stony Brook and Setauket Fire Departments were standing by to evaluate and treat the victims. Everyone turned out to be okay.
Photos below from Smithtown Public Safety.
