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Rescue drill proves a success
New vessel, copter to aid marine unit on Hudson, Sound

Bill Hughes
The Journal News

NEW ROCHELLE - Westchester County officials welcomed the latest addition to its Police Department marine unit by drowning a dummy in the harbor off Glen Island Park.
County Executive Andrew Spano was on hand late last month to publicly unveil a specially equipped 27-foot Boston Whaler the county recently purchased. The boat, dubbed Marine 4, is the county's first all-weather search-and-rescue vessel and will be used to patrol the Hudson River and Long Island Sound, Spano said. Officials intended to show off the boat's capabilities by staging a mock rescue, using a helicopter the county bought last year in conjunction with the boat. The plan was to drop a dummy wearing a life jacket into the harbor, have the helicopter pilot spot the dummy, and transmit the GPS location of the "distressed swimmer" to the boat crew and have them "rescue" the dummy.
But while a boat filled with media camera crews bobbed nearby, the chopper came in a little too low and the propeller wash caused the dummy to slip out of the life jacket and sink. The boat crew did, however, manage to spot and retrieve the life jacket.
All levity aside, Spano stressed that the thrust of the event was to promote boater safety. "Accidents happen. People are careless." he said. "This new patrol boat will enable the marine unit to better respond to calls for help and protect people on the water." Spano also urged boat owners and their passengers to always wear life jackets and to take boater-safety classes.
"What we find most often with mishaps on the water is that people who don't take these classes are the ones who wind up getting into trouble," Sgt. James Luciano said.
The boat and its added equipment cost about $200,000, part of which was bought with a grant, said Demostenes Long, the deputy public safety commissioner. Among the boat's added features are thermal imaging and infrared cameras, advanced navigation systems, including GPS; floodlights and remote-control spotlights; a dive-rescue door to make it safer and easier to remove victims from the water; and rescue and first-aid equipment, including throw ropes, throw rings, a defibrillator and floating blackboards and rescue baskets.
In addition to rescue and safety operations, the new boat will be used to increase the police presence in the waters around Westchester, Long said. Officers will especially vigilant for intoxicated boaters and any suspicious activity around sensitive areas like the Tappan Zee Bridge and the Indian Point Nuclear plants.

Boat Safety lessons can be found at affordable prices at Johnny Luciano's River Run. At Johnny Luciano's, it's safety first.

Reach Bill Hughes
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