By Karenlyn Barone
James Lutz, of West Hempstead, and Matt Vita, of Garden City South, were pulled from the frigid water by officers Fred Avis and Chris Tagney and taken by an East Rockaway Fire Department Ambulance to South Nassau Communities Hospital, where they were treated for symptoms of hypothermia and later released. Police said drugs or alcohol played no role in the accident.
Lutz and Vida, out on the water for the first time this season, treaded water in their life vests for 30 minutes before help arrived. They quickly grew numb in the cold water, which made it impossible for them to climb back on the Seadoo. At press time the men could not be reached for comment.
"People just don't realize that even though it may be a warm day, the water may be 50 degrees lower than their body temperature," said Avis, who has been a police officer for 31 years, the last 23 on the water. "They were lucky -- it could have been much worse."
Most accidents involving personal watercraft are attributable to the operator's inexperience and a lack of familiarity with waterways as well as the rules of the water, according to Joel Fuoco, boating accident investigator for the county Marine and Aviation Bureau since 1996. Nassau County annually accounts for 17 percent of all boating accidents in New York state, and its marine environment is considered the most congested not only in the state but in all of the Northeast, Fuoco said. County and state lawmakers are working hard to make the waterways safer for everyone and reduce the high accident rate.
State law requires anyone under age 32 to be certified to operate a personal watercraft, or PWC, a category that includes any inboard motorboat under 16 feet in length, such as a Seadoo. By 2004, all operators of PWCs will have to be certified, regardless of age. Certificates are issued through boater safety-education courses offered by the U.S. Coast Guard. The purpose of the law is to reduce the rate of serious injuries and fatalities, which generally involve operators under age 30. In Nassau County in 2001 there were 37 serious injuries reported and two fatalities, and in 2002 there were 23 serious injuries and five fatalities.
"Anyone can literally buy a Jet Ski today and have it in the water this afternoon," said Avis. "Our message is that you must operate it in a safe and prudent manner."
All PWCs must be registered with the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles and have registration numbers readily displayed on both sides of the craft. PWCs may not be operated after sunset or before sunrise, even if they're equipped with lights. Additionally, all operators and passengers must wear life vests, and there must be a visual distress flag onboard and a sounding device that can be heard up to a half-mile away in calm conditions.
For watercraft that have a lanyard cut-off switch, the lanyard must be attached at all times while craft is operating. This is a safety precaution offered on most PWCs whereby, if the rider falls off, the lanyard activates a plug that drops the steering bar into a position that makes the craft circle so the rider can retrieve it and climb back on. It also signals others in the area of an operator in distress.
Fuoco contends that personal watercraft aren't inherently safe, referring to the fact that they don't offer restraints for the operator, there are no windshields, wearing a helmet or goggles isn't required, and when they slow down, their momentum makes maneuvering difficult.
"Jet Skis provide little protection for the operator," said Fuoco. "Yet they're the hottest ticket in the boating industry today."
South Shore Cycle and Marine store manager Carmello Aquilia said the popularity of PWCs draws a mixed crowd to his Freeport store. Aquilia prominently displays Coast Guard brochures about water safety and stresses safety in his sales pitches.
"We like our customers to be well educated, "said Aquilia. "We stress fire extinguishers, flares, anchors and tow ropes, as well as the Coast Guard-approved safety kit."
The store also sells personal watercraft that come with a "learning key," an important selling point for parents of young children. This safety device limits children to speeds of no more than 30 mph, even though some PWCs can more than double that speed.
"[A personal watercraft] can be dangerous in the hands of someone unlicensed and uneducated," said Mike Avis, 18, an employee of the Freeport store and the son of Officer Avis. "I think they should be regulated just like a driver's license. You should have to take a test and then go for refresher courses."
New York state's recreational boating population ranks seventh in the country, with somewhere between 500,000 and 535,000 registered boats on record. More than 7 percent of those are registered in Nassau County.
