Security video caught the dramatic scene Friday evening of a
man in distress in the Nissequogue River off Kings Park and his rescue.
Greg Thompson was fishing with his son and saw the man fall
off a dock at the Kings Park bluff boat ramp. He says the man was quickly
pulled out to sea despite several fisherman trying to help.
“The tide was much too fast…he was getting swept out much
too quickly,” said Thompson.
The Smithtown Bay constable then responded to 911 calls. The
water temperature was around 65 degrees and the man was in the water for about
20 minutes. Every second counted as emergency personnel arrived on scene to
find the man holding onto a buoy.
Rescuers say if it wasn't for the quick action of the 911
callers and the emergency response on the scene, the result of the rescue may
have been much different.
“He had been taking on so much sea water,” says Smithtown
Bay Constable Michael Grayson. “He was spitting it up, he was throwing it up –
he was in a lot of danger.”
Officials say the 45-year-old man was taken to shore and to
Stony Brook University Hospital where he is recovering.
Officials say the water can be treacherous around the Kings
Park Bluff boat dock especially when the tide is changing. It can easily sweep
small boats or kayakers out into the sound if people are not careful.