Police Rescue 3 From Water After Boat Catches Fire In Great South Bay
BROOKHAVEN, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Authorities have rescued three men who jumped into the water from a boat that caught fire on Long Island's Great South Bay.
Matthew Biagi, 41, of Forest Hills, Queens, was taking a 25-foot boat from Oakdale to Fire Island when he and his passengers noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment, the Suffolk County Police Marine Bureau said. A fire extinguisher on board didn't work so the men put on life vests and jumped overboard.
It happened just before 7 p.m. Saturday, two miles north of Cherry Grove. The men called police from a cell phone and they were rescued about 20 minutes later and treated for hypothermia. The water was about 60 degrees.
The boat's other occupants were Biagi's brother, Joseph Biagi, 40, of Weehawken, New Jersey, and Richard Damaro, 42, of Forest Hills.
The fire was extinguished by fire boats and transported to Timber Point for examination by the Arson Squad.
(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
