Police, Good Samaritan Rescue Teens From Long Island Sound

Suffolk County Police Marine Bureau officers, with assistance from a good Samaritan, rescued two Smithtown teens after their boat overturned in the Long Island Sound Saturday morning.

Police say Douglas Botto, 19, and Eric Damn, 19, were on board a 16-foot Hobie Cat catamaran about two and a half to three miles north of the Nissequogue River, when their boat overturned.

Waves of 3-5 feet prevented them from righting the boat, police say.

A good Samaritan spotted the pair at about 11:30 a.m. after they had been floating on the boat’s hull with life jackets on for about 90 minutes. The good Samaritan contacted the Marine Bureau over the VHF radio and provided their location, police say.

Marine Bureau officers David Goldstein and Michael Cappiello aboard Marine Delta and officers Keith Walters and Paul Carnival aboard Marine Bravo responded the scene. They brought the teens back to Long Beach in Smithtown and towed the boat back. The United States Coast Guard was also on the scene. Neither teen was injured.