Merrick Fire Department rescues two kayakers from East Bay

Two kayakers were rescued from the waters of East Bay in south Merrick Saturday afternoon, after the Merrick Fire Department was alerted that one of the boaters "flipped over and fell out" into the bay, said ex-chief Ron Luparello.

Around 1:30 p.m., the MFD deployed one of its rescue boats from a nearby marina to get to the kayakers in distress, while response vehicles  on land rushed to the intersection of Shore and Denton drives in south Merrick. There, first responders crossed through a backyard on Shore Drive to get a visual of the boaters.  

Firefighters aboard the rescue boat "were able to reach the person in the water," Luparello said. Both kayakers were then brought onto the boat, taken to shore and  taken to an area hospital.

It was unclear what may have caused the one kayak to capsize. 

Robin Becker, who lives on Shore Drive, said she saw one of the kayakers being "taken safely by the ambulance," she said, adding that the boater seemed "a little shaken up."

The kayakers were not identified, but Luparello said he assumed they live in Merrick and are related. 

In addition to the MFD, the Nassau County Police Department's Aviation unit, Emergency Services Unit and  Emergency Medical Services also responded to the scene.