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With Memorial Day weekend around the corner, Suffolk County is making waves when it comes to boating safety.
District Attorney Ray Tierney on Wednesday announced the launch of Aqua Alert, a real-time notification system modeled after Amber and Silver Alerts, aimed at improving emergency response and law enforcement on the water.
“This program represents a significant advancement in our ability to enforce maritime laws and protect Suffolk County residents,” Tierney said in a statement. “By establishing this real-time alert system, another vital tool has been created for law enforcement to respond swiftly to emergencies and potentially criminal activities on our waterways.”
The announcement, made in collaboration with the East End Marine Law Enforcement Task Force, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound, kicks off National Safe Boating Week and sets the tone for a summer of increased patrols.
Sheriff Errol Toulon, Jr. said the initiative comes at the right time.
“Our waterways can be even more dangerous than our roads, with unpredictable conditions, sudden weather changes, and inexperienced operators,” Toulon said.
“Don’t make those risks worse by mixing in alcohol or not following the rules of the waterways.”
How it works
The Aqua Alert system will send real-time alerts to mobile phones through the Wireless Emergency Alert system, sharing details like descriptions of missing persons or vessels and their last known locations.
The program is part of a broader effort by the Task Force, which was formed in 2007 to coordinate enforcement across Suffolk County’s five East End towns.
The District Attorney’s Office works alongside 16 other agencies to crack down on unsafe and illegal activity on local waters.
According to the announcement, the Aqua Alert system is designed to help gather witness information, identify intoxicated boaters, coordinate multi-agency response and enhance prosecutions with better evidence.
“The ‘lone ranger’ days are over,” said Ed Michels, chairman of the East End Marine Law Enforcement Task Force. “Our partnerships with all the East End law enforcement agencies, the Sheriff’s Office and the District Attorney’s Office ensures that we must work together to achieve end results which bring better results to the people in Eastern Suffolk County.”
Stepping up patrols
Alongside Aqua Alert, Suffolk County is ramping up patrols this season to target violations like boating while intoxicated, lack of proper safety equipment, speeding, and illegal discharge of waste.
Federal data shows that 75 percent of boating fatalities in 2024 involved drownings — and roughly 85 percent of those victims weren’t wearing life jackets.
As of Jan. 1, all motorboat operators in New York, regardless of age, must complete a boater safety course under Brianna’s Law. The legislation, named for 11-year-old Brianna Lieneck who died in a 2005 boating crash in Great South Bay, was fully phased in this year.
For emergencies or to report suspicious maritime activity, boaters are encouraged to use VHF Channel 16 or call the Sector Long Island Sound Command Center at (866) 299-8031.
Top: Three people escaped a boat fire before by hopping aboard a good Samaritan’s nearby vessel in the Great South Bay in May of 2024. Credit: Suffolk County Police Department
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