Two Men Saved in Dramatic Rescue on Long Island Sound

This story was written by Joe Dowd.

Bay constables, police from two states and a Good Samaritan made a dramatic rescue of two Long Island men who had been thrown overboard into Long Island Sound, authorities said Saturday.

The unusual events began to unfold about 7:45 Friday when a 24-foot Super Boat, moving in choppy seas at about 50 mph (about 43 knots), struck a wave and ejected both men into the water, bay constables said. Neither man was wearing a life vest and were bobbing in the waves, but the powerful speed boat kept going without a pilot, authorities said.

About seven minutes later, a call over a marine VHF channel reported a vessel running without an operator on Long Island Sound, about midway between Connecticut and New York. The caller reported two people were in the water.

Within a minute, Oyster  Bay constables were en route, followed closely by a crew from the Greenwich, Conn., police, the Huntington Harbor Master's office and the Suffolk County Police Department.

As emergency teams sped to the scene, Giuseppe Costagna of Greenwich was nearby in his boat and spotted the two victims in the water, bay constables said. Costagna pulled both aboard his vessel about 8:10 p.m., 25 minutes after the two were thrown overboard.

The men were shaken but apparently not seriously hurt, authorities said. A full report on their conditions was unavailable late Saturday.

Oyster Bay constables and Greenwich police arrived just 10 minutes later, followed by the Huntingtion harbormaster's office and a Suffolk police marine unito. The U.S. Coast Guard also arrived with a vessel about 8:30 p.m.

The emergency crews still had a speeding boat to contend with. Several units gave chase and caught up to the boat. To stop it, crews tossed lifejackets tied with lines near the Super Boat, attempting to foul its propellers. After numerous attempts, the tactic worked and Oyster Bay constables corralled the boat, slowing it to under 20 mph (about 17 knots.)

The team from Greenwich then boarded the still-moving boat and brought it to a stop, authorities said.

Oyster Bay transferred to the two victims from the Good Samaritan's boat and towed their vessel back to Roosevelt Park Marina in Oyster Bay.

The Huntington Harbor Master arrived with the new "Rapid Diver System," ready to be deployed if needed. The breathing gear, designed to get a diver in the water in a matter of minutes to look for victims, was a recent donation to Huntington by the Bay Constables Benevolent Association. A similar donation was recently made to other Long Island communities.

The Super Boat was owned by an East Norwich man; his passenger was from Bethpage, authorities said. They were back in Oyster Bay by 10 p.m. Friday.

Super Boats are high-performance racing vessels costing in excess of $60,000 new and capable of speeds of more than 70 mph (or 61 knots.)