Kayaker Rescued Off Kings Park Bluff

A 23-year-old kayaker was rescued from the waters of the Nissequogue River Sunday evening by members of the Kings Park Fire Department.

Police said a bird watcher at Kings Park Bluff saw the man in the water and called 911.

According to Kings Park Fire Chief, Mark O’Brien, Nissequogue Fire Department received the call, at about 5:45, taking the lead on the rescue and responded by Short Beach in Smithtown. Kings Park Fire Department responded by the Kings Park Bluff along with Northport, launching a boat into the water.

O’Brien said a helicopter, dispatched by Suffolk County Police located the kayaker, who was about mile out from the bluff, at the mouth of the river and was clinging to his capsized kayak.

A boat, manned with Kings Park Fire Department members Greg Smith, Andrew Strain and Dan Hagstrom, who dove into the water, were able to pull the man to safety and take him back to shore.

“He had been out in the water for awhile,” said O’Brien. “Not sure how long. We got him onto the boat. He was put on a stretcher and taken to the hospital.”

The kayaker, who has not yet been identified, was taken by ambulance to St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center and was treated hypothermia.

Patch will update this story as more information becomes available.