The FDNY boat that collided with a constitution vessel within the East River final month, inflicting the loss of life of a visiting Belgian firefighter, lacked the required staffing and permission to ever set sail on a pleasure cruise, The Publish has realized.
The deadly fireboat crash in June may need compounded the tragedy on the Hudson River this week. The FDNY’s closely broken Marine 1 Bravo was out of fee and unavailable to reply Wednesday when an overloaded private fishing boat with 14 aboard capsized close to West forty sixth Avenue, killing a lady and 7-year-old youngster.
The fireboat is usually docked about two miles south at Pier 53 and would have been the closest emergency vessel to the accident web site.
Within the fireboat collision, a lone firefighter took 4 civilians – together with Belgian Sgt. Johnny Beernaert, 53 – on a night jaunt June 17 aboard the 31-foot Marine 1 Bravo, which is supposed for use for medical emergencies and never civilian joyrides.
The boat is required to have a minimum of two on-duty staffers aboard always – three if in service or responding to an emergency, the FDNY confirmed.
Investigators are probing whether or not the firefighter piloting the vessel was performing on orders from bosses.
An FDNY lieutenant, captain and battalion chief have been faraway from their duties within the Marine Division pending an ongoing investigation led by the US Coast Guard, however haven’t been suspended, The Publish has realized. The unidentified firefighter has not been reassigned, officers stated.
“There was a breakdown within the chain of communication,” stated a supply near the probe.
The choice course of ought to have gone as excessive as Performing Fireplace Commissioner Laura Kavanagh – however by no means reached her, in line with sources.
“That was not delivered to her consideration. That didn’t go up the chain of command,” the insider stated.
The crash occurred at 10:09 pm when the industrial fishing boat “Honcho” struck the fireplace boat, critically injuring Beernaert, who later died at Bellevue Hospital, in line with the FDNY.
The veteran Belgian firefighter was visiting New York Metropolis firefighters he had befriended on prior visits. Additionally aboard was his spouse Heidi Vermandel, retired FDNY Capt. Stephen Lonergan and his spouse Elizabeth. All had been handled for minor accidents, as was the firefighter piloting the boat.
Beernaert’s household and Lonergan declined to remark. Operators of the fishing boat didn’t return messages.
When the civilian boat capsized within the Hudson Wednesday — whereas the broken Marine 1 Bravo vessel was unusable — one other small FDNY boat, the Marine 1 Alpha, responded to the scene. Nonetheless, not like Marine 1 Bravo, the non-medical boat lacks tables on which to put sufferers and different tools.
A firefighter on the Alpha dove into the water to assist seek for victims underneath the capsized boat, however was unable to achieve any. The Alpha then returned to the shoreline, picked up members of FDNY’s Rescue 1 unit and two medics, earlier than going again to the accident web site.
One retrieved sufferer was positioned on the Alpha, the place the medics “started quick life-saving intervention,” stated FDNY spokesman Jim Lengthy. That individual died.
Emergency medical personnel handled the opposite boaters, together with two taken to an area hospital in essential situation.
Alpha and Bravo are stationed on the similar Pier 53 location in Chelsea. Lengthy insisted there would have been “no distinction in response instances” if Bravo took the decision.
The rescue medics picked up by the Alpha introduced tools and “administered a really excessive degree of pre-hospital care,” he added.
The FDNY wouldn’t clarify why Beernaert and the three different civilians had been taken on a scenic cruise.
Sources say it’s not unusual for FDNY brass to entertain household or pals on the company’s boats.
The FDNY stated it permits civilians or non-FDNY workers to trip on the boats, however “the request would go up the chain of command for approval” by the Marine Division commander or fireplace commissioner.
The division has no written pointers on utilizing the boats for pleasure or different non-emergencies, however officers say the foundations are widespread information.
“We are going to conduct a evaluate of insurance policies and make modifications as mandatory,” Lengthy stated.
