Missing paddle boarder found safe in North Fork-wide search effort

Multiple first responders from police departments, fire departments and ambulance services across the North Fork and beyond responded to a call of a missing paddle boarder on Wednesday.

The Riverhead Police Department received a 911 call at around 4 p.m. about a missing person who went paddle boarding off of South Jamesport Beach and never returned, according to a police media release.

Once the Riverhead PD dive and rescue team responded, several other area agencies were notified and jumped in to assist with the search.

This included the the United States Coast Guard, Suffolk County Police Aviation, NYSP Marine Unit, Southampton Town Police Department, Southold Town Police Department, Jamesport Fire Department, Mattituck Fire Department, Flanders Fire Department, Riverhead Fire Department, and the Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Company.

Ultimately, the search ended when a Southold Town Police officer spotted the paddle boarder in good health walking in the water near the beach off of Peconic Bay Boulevard near Wendy Drive in Laurel.

This emergency comes just over a week after Southold Police rescued a lost kayaker on the Long Island Sound using a drone to locate the person.