Southampton Village Ocean Rescue Hosts Helicopter Drill With Suffolk County Police and East Hampton Volunteer Ocean Rescue

On Saturday, a Southampton Village Ocean Rescue search-and-rescue drill was activated for Ocean Rescue first responders to come to the aid of three “distressed swimmers” stranded in Shinnecock Bay.

In preparation, Jason Feinberg, the officer in command, set up a command post at the U.S. Coast Guard Shinnecock Station in Hampton Bays. First responders arrived on scene and gathered at the station dressed in drysuits, prepared to deploy the rescue Jet Ski and enter the frigid water.

The Suffolk County Police aviation section arrived on scene with rescue swimmers, fully equipped with cold water gear, ready to deploy from the helicopter.

The aviation team consisted of aircraft commander Rich Davin; tactical flight officer Vic Federico, and Stony Brook University flight paramedic Trip Hoar. The rescue swimmer team was led by Sergeant Kevin Clark of the Emergency Service Section, and police officers Dave Froehlich, Chris DeFeo and Greg Stroh of the Marine Bureau.

Called in for backup, East Hampton Volunteer Ocean Rescue promptly arrived at the station, with a Jet Ski in tow to aid in the cold-water rescue. East Hampton Captain Steve McMahon was there to oversee the backup rescue watercraft operations.

The aviation team met first responders at the command post. County Police Sergeant John Vahey, acting as air operations director, conducted a comprehensive briefing before initiating the interagency exercise, utilizing land, air, and marine assets.

A drill alert was sent out via the Southampton Village Police Department. An orange buoy marker was set in a designated deep water drop zone, adjacent to the Coast Guard station. The helicopter landed in the designated zone at the station. The helicopter then transported their rescue swimmers from the Coast Guard station to the drop zone, where they deployed from the helicopter into Shinnecock Bay to act as distressed swimmers.

Southampton Ocean Rescue maintained close watch of the rescue operation from the command post, using a monitor connected to a remote camera that zoomed in on the drop zone and rescuers. As a safety precaution, a Jet Ski was positioned just outside of the drop zone, but in close proximity to the swimmers. The helicopter pilot communicated the GPS coordinates of the simulated survivors to responding ocean rescue Jet Ski operators and their rescue swimmers: Southampton Ex-Chief Nick Palumbo, Southampton Captain Alexandra Talty, East Hampton Chief Barnaby Friedman, and East Hampton Lieutenant Thomas Brierly.

The ocean rescue teams executed the rescues seamlessly, recovering all three “distressed swimmers,” using the GPS coordinates to locate and bring them to the dock at the Coast Guard station. Southampton rescuers on standby near the command post transported the “survivors” from the Jet Ski sled to a rescue board, safely lifting them from the water. The team carried each victim to a level, dry protected area, maintained vitals, kept the victims warm, and positioned them where they would be turned over to EMS.

Southampton 1st Assistant Chief and Southampton Village Volunteer Ambulance EMT Josh Belury was on site with an AED and first aid equipment.

At the completion of the drill, all participants met at the Command Post to conduct a thorough debrief of all aspects of the operation, collecting lessons learned and developing an action plan to more effectively respond to future real-life emergencies. Southampton Chief Alex King organized the drill, which showcased seamless coordination between agencies.

At the completion of the drill, Vahey said, “The aviation team and Rescue Swimmers really enjoyed working with SVOR and EHVOR. Everything went smoothly and safely because everyone was organized, professional and prepared.”

Friedman added how impressed he was at the level of detail and attention to safety at the drill.

King stated, “It is vital to have more than one Jet Ski operating in an offshore rescue. We are lucky to have EHVOR to back us up.”

King continually stresses the significance of consistent training throughout the year, in a variety of conditions, to continuously improve and expand on rescue techniques and skills.

Friedman asserts, “It’s fortuitous for EHVOR to have partners with whom we can train, since in an actual large-scale emergency, we would rely on each other as mutual aid responders. We view any chance to work with Suffolk County PD as a golden opportunity and we are thankful to SVOR for having organized this drill.”

King also noted, “As a relatively new first responder organization, SVOR realizes that it is critically important to raise awareness of Ocean Rescue’s distinctive capabilities. Both EHVOR and SVOR are unique resources because of their rapid response to water-related emergencies and their ability to operate under myriad challenging conditions — including darkness, cold, rain, fog, and hurricane swells.”