For Immediate Release
May 17, 2019
Incident: Suffolk County Marine Bureau Officers Assist Stranded Boaters
Location: Bellport Bay, Bellport
Date/Time: Thursday, May 16, 2019 at approximately 11 p.m.
Suffolk County Police Marine Bureau officers assisted two boaters stranded in Bellport Bay last night.
Jake Laznovsky, and his father Jim Laznovsky, were operating a 25 foot 1993 Cougar Cat in Bellport Bay when the craft ran aground inside of the New Inlet at approximately 6 p.m.
The two men contacted a commercial salvage operator who attempted to reach the stranded vessel, but failed due to the shallow water. The commercial salvage operator contacted the Marine Bureau at approximately 11 p.m., and Marine Kilo responded. Marine Kilo deployed a small shallow draft boat, but the shallow water prevented it from reaching the two men.
Police contacted Hampton Bays Fire Department. The department launched its hovercraft from the Smith Point Marina with firefighters Donald Downs and John Rosante aboard. The hovercraft shuttled the two stranded men to Marine Kilo. Marine Kilo then transported the men to Forge River Marina in Mastic.
Jake Laznovsky, 32, of Mastic, and Jim Laznovsky, 62, of Lindenhurst were not injured.