SMITH POINT PARK, NY – On August 6th at about 7:35 P.M., the Mastic Beach FD and Mastic Beach Ambulance Co. were dispatched to Smith Point Park in front of the pavilion for a report of a swimmer in distress.

Mastic Beach FD Chiefs Fred Loiacono {5-13-30} and Luis Grego {5-13-32} quickly got on the road and responded, as did ambulances and a first responder from Mastic Beach Ambulance under the command of Assistant EMS Chief Jenny Hoffman. While assets were en route, Fire Rescue also began to dispatch mutual aid assets from Mastic FD, Mastic Ambulance and South Country Ambulances to the scene.

Mastic Beach Scuba Rescue truck 5-13-7 was dispatched to the scene along with water rescue pickup 5-13-5 and a zodiac. On arrival, 5-13-7 sent some manpower over to the Fire Island National Seashore side to retrieve the department's gator and jet ski to use to conduct a search. At that time, a Suffolk Police helicopter also arrived on scene and began to search the water overhead, while Mastic EMS was sent to stage on the beach to assist with operations.

Members from the Mastic Beach FD dive team assisted SCPD Aviation and the US Coast Guard with a search for the missing swimmer, who was found and loaded onto a US Coast Guard small rescue boat from station Moriches where according to officials CPR was performed. The Coast Guard transported the male swimmer back to their station in East Moriches where an ambulance from East Moriches was waiting.

According to reports from officials, the male was later pronounced dead at Peconic Bay Medical Center despite rescue efforts from the multiple agencies involved.