Crime & Safety
New East End Marine Task Force Emergency Response Boat Christened
The vessel was most recently used to rescue a lost fisherman who was found off the coast of Montauk.
Suffolk County Sheriff Vincent F. DeMarco smashed a bottle of champagne on the bow of a new East End Marine Task Force boat in Hampton Bays on Thursday to celebrate the christening of a vessel that will help save lives.
The boat, named “Marine 41,” is a chemical biological radiological nuclear and explosive response vessel procured by the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office for use by the East End Marine Task Force.
The Sheriff’s Office received the boat in February.
Officials gathered at the U.S. Coast Guard Station Shinnecock in Hampton Bays to christen the vessel and celebrate recent success stories.
“We’re here today to christen Marine 41, but also to celebrate our success as a group with a mission to ensure secure passage and safety throughout Long Island’s beautiful East End waterways," DeMarco said.
Marine 41 was purchased by the Sheriff’s Office with a $1.2 million Federal Emergency Management Agency grant. Marine law enforcement officials will use the vessel for emergency response and routine patrol missions.
Most recently, the vessel was used during a search and rescue mission on July 24 for lost fisherman John Aldridge, who was found after an extensive search approximately 43 miles off the coast of Montauk.
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Aldridge and his family were in attendance as the United States Coast Guard was honored for their role in that successful rescue operation.
Marine 41 is equipped with infrared cameras, side scan sonar, radar, chart plotters and a dual screen GPS. A computer is installed on the vessel, which provides access to DMV data and other law enforcement databases. The cabin is equipped with oxygen, a defibrillator, as well as EMT equipment, and can accommodate a patient on a backboard.
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The task force is a collaborative law enforcement initiative comprised of 18 agencies from the five East End towns, the United States Coast Guard, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, the five East End villages, the State Park Police and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
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