2 Men Rescued After Canoe Overturns On Long Island Sound

NISSEQUOGUE, NY - Officers rescued two Smithtown men after their canoe overturned in the Long Island Sound off of Short Beach in Nissequogue on Friday night, according to Suffolk Police.

Officers received a 911 call at 8:53 p.m. from 22-year-old Cortland Terris who reported that the canoe he was on with a friend had overturned.

Before the canoe overturned, Terris and 21-year-old Michael Small had been drifting northeast in the canoe for one and a half to two hours.

The men attempted to paddle back to shore but were unsuccessful because of heavy winds and rough seas.

Terris called 911 after their canoe overturned.

Emergency Complaint Operator Kim Swan obtained their position and communicated it to Marine Bureau officers Nick Divaris and Pete Bogachunas who responded in Marine Bravo.

The officers found the men, who were holding on to the overturned canoe and a cooler, after Terris, who had significantly low battery power, pointed his cellphone flashlight towards the officer’s vessel.

The men were two miles northeast from where they had launched and had been in the water for a half an hour before officers rescued them and brought them aboard Marine Bravo.

Officers transported the two men, along with their canoe, to the Kings Park boat ramp.

They refused medical attention.

Images via SCPD