Suffolk County Police Marine Bureau officers last night rescued three boaters in the Fire Island Inlet, off Democrat Point, in Babylon.
Andre Thchelischeff, the captain of a 36-foot Bennetaue Sailboat, put out a distress alert on a VHF channel at 9:25 p.m. after the boat struck a sandbar and became disabled. There had been a small craft advisory in effect at the time due to high seas. Marine Kilo and Marine Juliet responded along with the officers from the Aviation Section. The United States Coast Guard also assisted.
Due to the difficult conditions, including four to five foot waves, it took officer’s Joseph Lanzisera, Chris DeFeo, Ed McDowell and Joe Meo from Marine Kilo four attempts to reach the vessel, at which point Thchelischeff, and his passengers Richard Cameron and James Isbester, were taken safely onto Marine Kilo.
Thchelischeff, 60, Cameron, 61, and Isbester, 60, did not require medical attention. They were transported to the Coast Guard station.