Sailboat capsizes in Wantagh amid boater safety conference

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Two Seaford residents were rescued from the water off Wantagh Park on June 16 after their 14-foot Capri sailboat capsized.

Joan Imbro and Robert Diehlmann were unharmed, and had to laugh when they were pulled to the Wantagh Park dock: Ironically, the Nassau County Police Marine Bureau had come to their rescue during a news conference about boating safety.

At approximately 10:55 a.m., police responded to a report that a strong gust of wind had overturned a small vessel with two people aboard, a police report stated.

County Executive Laura Curran and County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder appeared at the Wantagh Park marina around 11 a.m. for a conference on boating safety procedures. Just before Ryder spoke, an ambulance appeared at the scene to respond to the emergency call.

“This is not staged,” Ryder said at the podium. “We’re pulling two people from the water right now.” Roughly 100 feet behind him, flashing lights could be seen illuminating the water, and the Marine Bureau boat pulled the sailboat in.

Diehlmann, 65, said he had been operating the vessel in the vicinity of the Bellmore Channel when it overturned. He and Imbro fell into the water, the Marine Bureau was dispatched to the site, they were safely brought aboard Marine 1 and their sailboat was towed in to the marina. They declined medical attention at the scene.

After the duo came ashore, Imbro said that Diehlmann was an “experienced boater.” Diehlmann said he got his first boat at age 25, and is typically on the water every week. He noted that he had been sailing for about an hour before the emergency call was made by a passerby, and added that the water was warm.

Diehlmann’s advice to boaters? “Make sure you can get back in the boat!” he said. “And wear a lifejacket.”

At the news conference, Curran said that 80 percent of fatalities on the water are drownings, and 83 percent of the victims are not wearing lifejackets. “We do not want a tragedy, we do not want a funeral because of carelessness,” she said.

In 2019, there were 4,168 recreational boating accidents in the U.S., involving 613 deaths, 2,559 injuries and approximately $55 million in damage to property, according to data from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Coast Guard. That year, Nassau County recorded seven boat accidents. The number spiked to 32 last year, with four fatalities, Ryder said.

“We’re approaching one of the busiest boating seasons of the year,” he said. “You can’t find a boat to purchase out here right now — everybody’s on the water.”

As it patrols county waterways this summer, the Marine Bureau will ensure that all appropriate guidelines are followed. Ryder reminded boaters to have the following items onboard: personal flotation devices for every passenger, a distress flag, U.S. Coast Guard-approved flares, a fire extinguisher, a radio and proper registration.

He urged boaters never to drink and operate a vessel. Just under 20 percent of all fatalities on the water involve alcohol, according to officials. “We have a zero tolerance for drinking and boating,” Ryder said. “Enjoy your time, but have the designated captain on the boat, and make sure everyone is wearing a lifejacket.”