2 Hurt, 1 Seriously, After Boat Strikes Sandbar in Great South Bay

Two people were injured, including a man who suffered a head injury and lost consciousness, when a boat ran aground in the Great South Bay Saturday night, police say.

According to police, 49-year-old Steven Kilmeade, of Bayport, was operating his 33-foot Egg Harbor sport fishing boat in an eastbound direction when the boat hit a sandbar northeast of East Channel buoy number 11, off East Fire Island around 10:40 p.m.

When the boat struck the sandbar, one of the passengers, 40-year-old Dustin Damrau, of Medford, was thrown forward, causing him to suffer a head injury, police said.

Kilmeade called 911 and two Suffolk Police Marine Bureau vessels responded. Marine Bureau officers used the smaller police boat, Marine Papa, to access the scene due to shallow water.

Once on board the boat involved in the accident, officers rapidly assessed the condition of the passengers and provided first aid to Damrau, preparing him for immediate transport by Marine Papa to the larger vessel, Marine Kilo, police said.

He was then taken to Marine Bureau Headquarters at Timber Point in Great River for transport to the hospital by Exchange Ambulance.

Passengers Eric Lipuma, 41, of Bayport, and his 10-year-old son and 14-year-old friend, were uninjured. Damrau’s 11-year-old son suffered minor injuries. All the passengers were removed from the boat and transported to Timber Point. Kilmeade remained with the vessel to assist in salvage efforts.

A commercial salvage vessel from Reynolds TowBoatUS responded from Bay Shore to remove the accident vessel from the sand bar, police said.

Photo courtesy of Suffolk Police