Police

Kayaker helps rescue father and 10-year-old daughter from Sound

GOOGLE MAPS | Two people were rescued by a Good Samaritan in a kayak and Wading River firefighters Thursday evening.
GOOGLE MAPS | Two people were rescued by a Good Samaritan in a kayak and Wading River firefighters Thursday evening.

A kayaker helped Wading River firefighters rescue a father and his young daughter from Long Island Sound after their boat capsized Thursday evening, Wading River fire officials said.

A 36-year-old Shirley man and his 10-year-old daughter were in a canoe off Wading River beach on Creek Road when the boat flipped over about 6 p.m. and began taking on water, said Wading River Fire Chief Jim Evans.

“Luckily they had life jackets and a whistle,” Chief Evans said.

The kayaker, a Shoreham woman who was in the area, heard the two stranded boaters using a whistle and came to their aid while fishermen on the beach called 911, Chief Evans said.

The Good Samaritan then paddled next to the flipped canoe and let the girl into her kayak, while the father clung to the side of the boat until rescue arrived.

Wading River firefighters got to the scene about 6:10 p.m. and used a department rescue boat to bring the kayaker and the father and daughter back to shore.

All three were evaluated by Wading River ambulance volunteers, but were not injured, police said. Chief Evans said the kayaker’s quick thinking helped to get the boater back to shore safely.

“She was key,” he said. “[She got] to them in minutes so they could stay afloat, and kept them visible in the water until our boat arrived and got them out.”

[email protected]