Teen boy rescued from marsh after he and a man on water crafts ran aground off Merrick, police say

Nassau police rescued a 15-year-old boy after he became stranded in a marsh while riding a water craft near Merrick on Friday, Nassau County Police said.

The incident happened around 2 p.m. on Friday. The boy and a 35-year-old man were riding WaveRunners in the water south of Merrick before their crafts ran aground in the marsh, Nassau police said in a news release on Saturday.

The man was able to wade through the marsh to safety, but the teenager remained stuck as the tide receded, prompting Nassau Police to dispatch two boats — Marine 1 and Marine 3 — and a police helicopter to rescue the boy, the release said.

"Marine Bureau Officers ... donned Immersion Suits to trek through the marsh. With the helicopter’s guidance, officers located the male and physically assisted him to Marine 1," the agency wrote in the release.

A Nassau County spokesman did not specify how long the 15-year-old was stranded in the marsh.

The boy was taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation after being rescued. The police spokesman could not confirm whether the boy remains in the hospital, but said no serious injuries were reported and the evaluation was likely a precaution.

By Sam Kmack

sam.kmack@newsday.com

Sam Kmack covers the Town of Islip for Newsday. He is a graduate of the University of Southern California and previously worked as a city watchdog reporter in the Phoenix metro area, as well as an investigative journalist at the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting.