Byrne Promotes Marine Safety, Boating Certificates At Lake Mahopac

PUTNAM COUNTY, NY — First responders gathered with Assemblyman Kevin Byrne recently at Lake Mahopac to promote boater and water safety, including the need for operators of motorboats and personal watercraft to earn a Boating Safety Certificate from the state.

The law is named after Brianna Lieneck, an 11-year old Long Island girl who was killed in a 2005 boating accident. The requirement is being gradually phased in.

"As we begin the summer and start our water activities, we want to make sure that all folks who operate watercraft are aware of Brianna’s Law, which requires many people to obtain a boating safety certificate for this year, and all people by the start of 2025," Byrne said at the news conference. "Please make sure that if you were born on or after January 1st, 1988 that you have the proper NYS Boating Safety Certificate. Also be aware that you can pay a few more bucks to have the boater safety certificate marked on your driver’s license so that you don’t have to carry around an extra piece of paper in your wallet."

"We are very fortunate that water incidents in our area are few and far between. However, there is an extremely high potential for a catastrophic incident to occur at any time," said Chief Andrew Roberto of the Mahopac Volunteer Fire Department.

Carmel police now patrol Lake Mahopac because Putnam County defunded the County Sheriff's Department's 23-year-old Marine Unit in 2020.

Though it had been considered highly successful by the two most recent sheriffs, Donald Smith and Robert Langley — it used two boats provided at no charge by New York State, including one docked in Cold Spring; the state also reimbursed half of the personnel cost — Putnam officials said other counties would patrol the Hudson River and Carmel could handle Lake Mahopac.

Byrne told Patch on Wednesday, "I appreciate, respect and trust the hard work of the men and women of the Carmel PD who traditionally patrolled and now continue to patrol Lake Mahopac. I also support the county’s decision to continue the sheriff’s dept. patrol operations on Lake Oscawana in Putnam Valley.

"While I never fully understood the county’s logic behind removing the boat from the Hudson River, the decision was made and the boats were returned to the state. As Assemblyman, shortly after the county announced its decision to remove & return the boats to the state, I contacted the New York State Dept. of Parks, Preservation & Historic Preservation to inquire if the county would have the opportunity to recover the boats if there was ever a change of heart. I was informed it would be very unlikely as there was a waiting list that included other municipalities who had since demonstrated a greater need.

"With that said, our sheriff’s dept. and our county government continue to provide many essential services to the people across our county— helping to make us consistently one of the safest counties in New York," said Byrne, the Republican candidate for Putnam County Executive. "That is aided by important collaboration with other local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. I look forward to assessing new opportunities that may further strengthen that collaboration and partnership."