HUDSON RIVER – Multiple police and fire departments worked together to save several people and pets from the Hudson River after their boat capsized on Wednesday evening near the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge. The rescue began at approximately 5:30 p.m. after 911 received a report of a 17-foot boat that had capsized north of the bridge, leaving four souls, without personal flotation devices in danger.
The Chelsea Fire Department responded to the shoreline while rescue boats from the New Hamburg and City of Newburgh Fire Departments deployed toward the area. A New York State Police helicopter that was in the area responded to search for the troubled boat from the air.
The vessel was spotted from the air and guided the rescue boats to its location. Eighteen minutes after launching the boat, five New Hamburg firefighters, including the chief and assistant chief were at the stranded boat and found one person floating on a tube, holding two small dogs while the remaining three were clinging to the overturned boat. Two women were brought onboard the fire boat, followed by the man from the bow of the capsized vessel.
The Newburgh Fire Department, using their Marine 1, rescue boat secured the last person and the two dogs and then passed them to the New Hamburg rescuers. All of the victims were assessed by the firefighter/EMTs while on the river before being transported to the Chelsea Yacht Club where Town of Wappinger EMS personnel evaluated them before they were released.
“With boating season here, we wanted to stress the importance of wearing your life jackets while on a boat,” New Hamburg Fire Chief Jeff Renihan said. “These boaters did have life jackets but were not wearing them. Unfortunately, they were located under the seat, and they were unable to retrieve them due to the boat being capsized without warning.”
