Boy Dies in Junior Sailing Program

Centerport, NY (July 18, 2017) – A 12-year-old boy taking sailing lessons in the waters off Long Island was fatally injured today when he fell out of an instructor’s boat and struck the propeller, officials said.

The youngster had been part of the Centerport Yacht Club’s sailing school and was taking part in a lesson on capsizing in Northport Harbor when the tragedy unfolded at around 3 pm, according to Suffolk County Assistant Police Commissioner Justin Meyers.

“There were three students taking sailing lessons,” Meyers told The Post.

“As part of the instruction, the boat capsized. Two of the students remained in the boat. One was in the water,” Meyers said. “The instructor in the zodiac boat drove over to the student and pulled him out of the water and got him into the craft. At that point, the instructor started to drive the motorized boat and the student fell out. The propeller struck him. The instructor pulled him back in and began giving him CPR.”

Paramedics arrived on the scene, soon-after, and rushed the boy to Huntington Hospital in critical condition. He later died from what was described as massive injuries to his chest.

Editor’s note: The age of the boy has been updated. Early reports listed him at 10 years but later information from the police state he was 12 years. We have also seen the sailing instructor’s age as 18 years.

Source: New York Post, NBC New York, Associated Press