Officials Announce New Safety Efforts After Fatal Weekend Boating Collision On L.I.
EAST ISLIP, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- With summer in full swing, there's a new effort to target drunken boaters in the waters off Long Island.
Town of Islip officials announced Tuesday that this weekend, police and Coast Guard will be out in full force stopping any boat owner who is speeding or operating the vessel in a reckless manner.
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"There are no anti-lock brakes on boats, there are no air bags on boats," Islip Town Supervisor Tom Croci said. "Every individual who operates a watercraft, you're a captain of that vessel."
The crackdown follows a deadly boat crash this past weekend.
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Christopher Mannino, 39, of West Islip, died after he was thrown into the Great South Bay when another vessel hit the recreational fishing yacht he was in at about 4:50 a.m. Saturday.
Brian Andreski, 26, of Dix Hills, who prosecutors said was the operator of the skater boat that collided with Mannino's boat, has been charged with boating while under the influence.
Sixteen percent of boating accidents happen as a result of drunken boating and over 20 percent of all boating fatalities are a result of alcohol-impaired operators, according to experts.
July is the busiest period of the year for accidents and boating traffic in the Tri-State area.
