| At 11:45 Thursday evening, Rescue Divers from the Center Moriches Fire Department were called to assist other local agencies in locating an overturned boat in the Moriches Inlet. The 911 caller reported he witnessed a subject in the water holding onto hull of an overturned boat approximately ½ mile south of the Moriches Inlet in the Atlantic Ocean.
Marine rescue boats from Center Moriches, East Moriches and the Eastport Fire Departments and the US Coast Guard from Station Moriches arrived at the inlet only to be met with 6 to 8 foot waves. Unable to navigate through the large waves rescue personnel were forced to wait for larger boats from USCG Shinnecock station and the Suffolk County Police Marine bureau.
A Suffolk County police helicopter was overhead to help guide the larger boats to the capsized boat in the ocean. Suffolk County Police Marine "Mike" boat pulled the unidentified man from the 50 degree water and administered first aid for hypothermia during the transport back to a waiting ambulance at the USCG Station in East Moriches.
According to the subject, he was fishing alone when his boat capsized after being struck from a large wave in the inlet. He was not wearing a life jacket and started suffering hypothermia when officers found him clinging to the hull of his boat struggling to stay afloat.
This was the 3rd water rescue this week from Moriches Inlet. On November 9th two separate boats were also capsized in the inlet within 2 hours of each other throwing their occupants in to the frigid waters of the Moriches inlet. |
