Hurricane Sandy

Boaters Urged: Secure Your Damaged Vessels

Removing electronics will prevent looting

Boaters whose vessels have become disabled in either Hurricane Sandy or the nor'easter that followed should remove electronics and personal items from them to prevent theft and looting, a national boating organization urged. The advice is especially important as barrier island residents temporarily repopulate their hometowns, but will most likely have to leave their boats behind when they leave. The Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) also suggested boat owners place a "No Trespassing" sign on their boats along with contact information. Despite the suggestion, the organization said boaters should not climb in or on boats that have piled up together or are dangling from dock pilings or other obstructions. Boaters should …

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Coast Guard Believes Sandy Hook Hoax Linked to Similar Incident in Texas

On May 20, the U.S. Coast Guard searched for six people who reportedly abandoned a sinking vessel near Galveston, Texas

The United States Coast Guard now believes that two hoax phone calls falsely reporting a yacht explosion in Sandy Hook last week may be linked to a similar May 20 incident in Texas. Two distress calls were received by the Coast Guard Vessel Traffic Service New York on June 11 at about 4:20 p.m. The caller described himself as the master of the yacht "Blind Date" and reported that the boat had exploded with 21 people on board, according to a press release from the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard believes the same man placed both calls. The report of the yacht explosion 17 nautical miles offshore also indicated that 9 victims had suffered severe burns. The false report prompted a widespread, multi-agency emergency response to Sandy Hook, …

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Coast Guard: Two Hoax Phone Calls Triggered Search for Yacht Explosion 'Victims'

Morning briefing announces increased reward of $3,000 for information about the prank calls about a yacht explosion off Sandy Hook on Monday.

Coast Guard officials in New York Tuesday said they now believe that two phone calls, possibly from the same man, falsely reported that a yacht had exploded off Sandy Hook, setting off a massive air search that came to naught Monday. In a press briefing at its Battery Park headquarters, the Coast Guard announced that it was increasing the award for information about the hoax from $1,000 to $3,000 "for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of anyone responsible." A statement from Coast Guard urged anyone with information about the incident to call its investigative service at 646-872-5774 or 212-668-7048 and promised anonymity. [Full text of the statement below.] "In addition to being a federal crime, false distress calls waste …

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Mindy

11:32 pm on Saturday, June 30, 2012

i guess that makes us both scottish Bruce. (you are a jerk though and I am not!) LOL!   more ›

Paddle the Navesink Returns to Red Bank

The second annual event celebrates and promotes water access.

In its first year, Paddle the Navesink Day attracted more than 300 participants to the river’s shore in Red Bank to enjoy something organizer Cindy Burnham said often goes overlooked in an area dominated by urban sprawl and ever-expanding development: nature. The event is back again this year with much of the same mission, though this time with more organizations, activities, and educational opportunities for area children and adults alike. According to a release from Burnham, visitors will have the chance to experience kayaking, canoeing, sailing and rowing. There will also be ecology lessons, hands-on activities for children, and information provided by environmental groups participating in the event. And, like it should be, there’s no …

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Navesink Crash: Investigation Update

NJ State Police still investigating; more information offered

While autopsy results are in and a bit more detail is available on the fatal Navesink River boat crash, NJ State Police caution that the investigation is still ongoing. “Right now, as far as any additional charges beyond the driving while intoxicated, none have been pressed yet,” NJ State Police Sgt. Brian Polite said today. “It is still under investigation.” However, Polite said, the medical examiner, from Centra State Medical Center, Freehold, has completed the autopsy and “the cause of death was determined to be multiple blunt force trauma (over the entire body) of the victim associated with drowning.” That victim is Christopher Plant, 50, of Keansburg. “Basically, what it means is that he was struck (by the other boat), suffered the …

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Lori Stratford

10:30 am on Wednesday, July 27, 2011

My own brother was hit while on a jet ski by a drunk driver of a boat back in the late 80's. He has, thankfully, made a full recovery after several years of surgeries and rehab however accidents like these underscore the importance of not being in control of ANY vehicle while drunk.   more ›