Politics & Government
Hamptons Lifeguards Get Jet Ski Bill
A new law allowing lifeguards to use personal watercraft in lieu of non-motorized boats will help them get to bathers in distress quicker.
A measure passed by the state late last month that will allow lifeguards to use personal watercraft — such as Jet Skis, WaveRunners and Sea-Doos — in water rescues could help keep bathers safer.
The bill, signed into law in late July, changes an antiquated law that required lifeguards to use non-motorized boats 16 feet in length or longer. Although they could also use personal watercraft under the old law, Jet Skis could not be substituted for these non-motorized boats during rescues, according to New York State Assemblyman Fred Thiele, who sponsored the bill.
Not only will the personal watercraft allow emergency personnel to get to bathers in distress quicker, it will also be easier to navigate through choppy surf or get to areas not regularly patrolled by lifeguards, said Thiele, who co-sponsored the bill with State Sen. Kenneth P. LaValle, R-Port Jefferson. The lawmakers introduced the legislation after they were contacted by members of the Hampton Lifeguard Association in East Hampton.
Find out what's happening in Southamptonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“It was kind of an ancient regulation,” Thiele said, speaking of the old law. He said local lifeguards questioned why they had to keep the non-motorized boats, considering that the Jet Skis are much more efficient. “It was the equivalent of bringing a horse and buggy to the beach.”
Chris Bean, the superintendent of parks and recreation for Southampton Town, praised the bill. "Anything that saves lives works," said Bean, who is also a lifeguard. “Now we can put lifeguards in different places in a shorter amount of time.”
Find out what's happening in Southamptonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
He noted that the town will not be able to purchase any Jet Skis this year as it isn't in the budget.
The bill comes just as the Westhampton Beach Village Board discussed adding emergency markers to village beaches. The village trustees mulled the idea at a July 27 work session, during which Mayor Conrad Teller and the other members of the board agreed it was a good idea. The beach markers would help rescuers find bathers in distress by giving them a more precise location on the beach.
