East Setauket teen makes lifejacket stand for boaters

An East Setauket teen is promoting the importance of water safety through a project he spearheaded at a Port Jefferson Harbor beach . 

Jacob Zilberstein, a graduating senior from Ward Melville High School in East Setauket, has installed an outdoor station for community members to borrow life jackets. He launched the initiative after noticing beachgoers operating watercraft without wearing flotation devices at Walnut Beach in the Village of Poquott. The life jackets were provided by the village, which also supplies vests at nearby California Beach about half a mile east of Walnut Beach, he said.

Zilberstein, a Boy Scout, tackled the task to earn his Eagle Scout Award, which is the highest achievement attainable within the Boy Scouts of America. He is a member of Troop 205 in Great River.

“I visit that beach regularly; it’s like a quarter-mile away from my house,” Zilberstein, 18, said of Walnut Beach. “It’s beautiful this time of year, but there are a lot of kayakers down there that tend to bring their kids or go without life vests.”

The teen said the three-sided station was installed with the help of his friends and fellow scouts using pressure-treated wood cemented into the ground. He modeled the structure after a similar one at California Beach, he said.

Zilberstein said he got an OK for the project from Poquott Village and completed the work using materials donated by Home Depot in South Setauket.

“Our Board of Trustees is always thrilled when our teen residents volunteer to improve the village,” said Poquott Village Mayor Tina Cioffi. “Jacob’s efforts to bring a much needed life jacket station to our very popular Walnut Beach area was a welcomed contribution.”

Zilberstein’s other community service efforts include being a volunteer emergency department ambassador for Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead.

He also received the Students Building Bridges Award this spring from the Jewish Community Relations Council of Long Island for demonstrating a “commitment to fostering inclusive, compassionate and civically engaged communities,” according to his school.

“We are so proud of all that he has accomplished,” said Ward Melville Principal John Holownia. “Jacob has demonstrated his leadership and a dedication to making a lasting impact on our community.” 

By Michael R. Ebert

michael.ebert@newsday.com

Michael R. Ebert is an education researcher and has worked for Newsday in various capacities since 2003. He was part of an 11-person team named as 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalists for investigative coverage of the LIRR's platform safety issues.