The Cutchogue Fire Department responded to a report of an overturned boat Tuesday morning. Four individuals from the 24-foot craft were found in the water.
The oyster boat was traveling across Peconic Bay when it took on water and overturned near Robins Island.
“Thankfully, there was a work barge nearby,” said Bill Brewer, Chief of the Cutchogue Fire Department. “Quick thinking both for the people [and those] they were working with. They were able to realize what was going on and pull them out of water to safety, and then we were able to get there and retrieve them from the barge.”
The deployment of a Southold Police Department drone helped facilitate the rescue, officials said. The remote device was dispatched from shore and piloted to the scene, allowing rescuers to get a better grasp of the situation. “The Southold Town police were able to utilize a drone, we were able to get a visual, to get a location rather quickly due to the use of that technology,” Mr. Brewer said.
Ultimately, the quick action of the workers on the barge and the fast response of local emergency teams lead to a happy outcome. “All parties were brought to shore where they were evaluated by EMS and released from the scene with no injuries,” Mr. Brewer said.
According to the report on the fire department’s website, units from the Cutchogue Fire Department, Stony Brook University Paramedics and the Southold Town Police operated on scene for 45 minutes.
The overturned boat was towed to shore by its owner so it could be safely removed from the water.