Suffolk Marine Unit Rescues Three From Sinking Boat Near Robert Moses State Park
FIRE ISLAND, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Suffolk County Marine Bureau officers along with Coast Guard officials rescued three people aboard a sinking boat south of the Fire Island inlet Sunday morning.
Suffolk police said Michael Scaringi was with his son and a friend aboard Scaringi's 26-foot boat, named Something Fishy, when the vessel experienced a mechanical problem and began to take on water about a mile off Robert Moses State Park.
Scaringi, of Oakdale, called 911 and the Coast Guard for help at around 7:30 a.m., police said.
Before emergency crews could arrive, two Good Samaritans passing by on a 26-foot boat rescued Scaringi's 12-year-old son from the sinking boat.
Once help had arrived, Coast Guard officials boarded the sinking vessel with a de-watering pump and began salvage operations.
The 12-year-old boy was also moved from the Good Samaritan's boat over to the Marine Bureau boat, police said.
Scaringi and his friend stayed on his boat and were able to make it through Fire Island Inlet to Captree Boat Basin in Babylon while being escorted by the Marine Bureau and Coast Guard.
This is the second water rescue for the Suffolk marine unit in as many days.
On Saturday morning, eight people were rescued from a sinking boat in the Great South Bay. The operator of the boat, 23-year-old Paul Collins, of East Islip, was issued summonses for an unregistered boat and non-functional navigation lights, police said.
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