In the first water rescue for the year over the Easter weekend, the Marine Incident Response Team (MIRT) responded to a challenging water rescue in the Terrell River, within the East Moriches Fire District.
A kayaker had become trapped in deep mud and shallow water, hidden from view by tall reeds and remote terrain. Although crews could hear faint cries for help, the victim couldn’t be immediately located.
Under the command of East Moriches Fire Chief John Ragone, a plan was quickly developed to deploy a jon boat into the narrow waterway. Crews coordinated efforts to safely launch and begin the search in the remote area, where visibility was limited and access was difficult.
Rescue swimmers from the Center Moriches Fire Department navigated the muddy waterway and ultimately found the man clinging to cattails, submerged in muddy water up to his thighs, cold, exhausted, and unable to move.
Bill Renzetti, member of the MIRT from the Center Moriches Fire Department, and former chief, said, “This person was lucky. He was difficult to see. We had guys up in trees trying to locate him from his cries. He fell out of the kayak, his phone went into the water, and the water temp was around 50 degrees. Hypothermia was setting in quick.”
The rescue swimmers were able to safely remove the man from the water and into the jon boat. However, navigating back to shore proved difficult due to extremely shallow water at low tide. A second jon boat from the Eastport Fire Department was launched with support personnel to assist. Once the boats were paired up and tethered together, remaining MIRT members on shore pulled both vessels through the mud and shallow water back to solid ground. A jon boat is a special flat bottomed boat best suited for this type of water environment.
Once on shore, the man was transferred to East Moriches Community Ambulance, who transported him to a local hospital for treatment of hypothermia. Afterward, MIRT returned to recover the kayak to prevent further 911 calls from concerned residents spotting an abandoned vessel.
This was not your average rescue, it was physically demanding, time-sensitive, and required full coordination of the entire team. The victim had been in the water for more than 40 minutes before the initial 911 call. With water temperatures around 50 degrees, hypothermia can set in quickly and become life-threatening.
MIRT statement said, “We’re incredibly proud of the teamwork displayed by all the rescuers and agencies involved—and we’re grateful for a successful outcome.”
The Marine Incident Response Team (MIRT) is a multi-agency group of specially trained firefighters who respond to water-based emergencies. MIRT members are Center Moriches FD, East Moriches FD, Eastport FD, Mastic Beach FD, Westhampton Beach FD.
Bill Biondi, Commissioner of the Mastic Beach Fire Department, said, “The MIRT team was put together in a coordinated effort to provide water rescue operations after the Coast Guard Station left. The departments provide this emergency rescue resource without any additional funding. Talks are ongoing to try to get the federal government to provide some financial relief to the volunteer fire and rescue departments for these necessary life-saving efforts.”
MIRT is ready 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to respond at a moment’s notice to water recuses on both sides of the Southport Bridge.