A coordinated response by local fire departments and emergency services saved a man’s life Friday evening after he was reported struggling in the surf just east of the TWA Flight 800 Memorial.
At approximately 7:07 p.m., a water rescue call reported a swimmer in distress about 100 feet offshore. Multiple agencies mobilized, including fire departments from Mastic Beach, Mastic, Center Moriches, East Moriches, Eastport, and Westhampton—all members of the Moriches Bay Marine Incident Response Team (MIRT). Suffolk County Park Rangers, Suffolk Police 7th Precinct officers, and a police helicopter also responded, along with Mastic Beach Ambulance personnel.
Within minutes, the Mastic Beach Fire Department launched its Jet Ski from its station at Smith Point. The rescue team quickly reached the victim, secured him, and brought him safely back to shore, where EMTs initiated immediate medical care before transporting him to a nearby hospital.
Fire officials credit the successful rescue to the rapid response and advanced training of local volunteers. “The volunteers undergo extensive training to conduct these rescues,” said Mastic Beach Fire Department Commissioner Bill Biondi. “It takes a lot of time and training to make sure people get home safe.”
The Marine Incident Response Team was created after the U.S. Coast Guard decommissioned its East Moriches station and moved operations to Shinnecock. Since then, responsibility for water rescues along the south shore—from the Smith Point Bridge to Westhampton—has fallen mainly to local fire departments.
While the team’s effectiveness has been proven time and again, Biondi emphasized that the increasing demands placed on volunteer agencies deserve greater support.
“We’re looking to federal officials to provide funds to assist the departments in carrying out these critical activities,” Biondi said. “Local taxpayers shouldn’t have to shoulder the full cost of services the Coast Guard used to handle.”
The rescued individual’s condition was not immediately released, but officials confirmed that the swift and skilled response likely prevented a tragedy.