Yesterday afternoon at 3:15 PM, the Marine Incident Response Team (MIRT) responded to a challenging water rescue in the Terrell River, within the East Moriches Fire District.

A kayaker had become trapped in deep mud and shallow water, hidden from view by tall reeds and remote terrain. Although crews could hear faint cries for help, the victim couldn’t be immediately located.

Under the command of East Moriches Fire Chief John Ragone, a plan was quickly developed to deploy a jon boat into the narrow waterway. Crews coordinated efforts to safely launch and begin the search in the remote area, where visibility was limited and access was difficult.

Rescue swimmers from the Center Moriches Fire Department navigated the muddy waterway and ultimately found the man clinging to cattails, submerged in muddy water up to his thighs, cold, exhausted, and unable to move.

The rescue swimmers were able to safely remove the man from the water and into the jon boat. However, navigating back to shore proved difficult due to extremely shallow water at low tide. A second jon boat from the Eastport Fire Department was launched with support personnel to assist. Once the boats were paired up and tethered together, remaining MIRT members on shore pulled both vessels through the mud and shallow water back to solid ground.

Once on shore, the man was transferred to East Moriches Community Ambulance, who transported him to a local hospital for treatment of hypothermia. Afterward, our team returned to recover the kayak to prevent further 911 calls from concerned residents spotting an abandoned vessel.

This was not your average rescue, it was physically demanding, time-sensitive, and required full coordination of our entire team. The victim had been in the water for more than 40 minutes before the initial 911 call. With water temperatures around 50 degrees, hypothermia can set in quickly and become life-threatening.

We’re incredibly proud of the teamwork displayed by all the rescuers and agencies involved—and we’re grateful for a successful outcome.

About the Marine Incident Response Team (MIRT):

The Marine Incident Response Team is a multi-agency group of specially trained firefighters who respond to water-based emergencies. The team includes members from Center Moriches FD, East Moriches FD, Eastport FD, Mastic FD, Mastic Beach FD, and Westhampton Beach FD.

Once activated, the team works together to deliver efficient, effective support to incidents on our local waterways. Thanks to the support of these departments and their dedicated volunteers, MIRT remains ready 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to respond at a moment’s notice.

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