Funeral services planned for boater James Jaronczyk, killed in Great South Bay accident

Funeral services are planned beginning Monday for James Jaronczyk, the boater whose body was recovered early Thursday in the Great South Bay off Babylon.

Visiting hours will be Monday and Tuesday from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at the Charles J. O'Shea Funeral Home in Wantagh, according to the funeral home.

A funeral Mass is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Wednesday  at St. William the Abbot Church on Jackson Avenue in Seaford.

Later that evening, the Village of Babylon plans to honor Jaronczyk with an “Evening of Remembrance” at 640 Fire Island Ave.

Jaronczyk, 28, of Massapequa, was found at 6:45 a.m. after more than four days of searching. He was ejected from a 22-foot boat after witnesses saw it hit a wave about 4:30 p.m. on Sunday. 

Jaronczyk's father, Joe Jaronczyk Jr., praised his son in a phone interview Saturday. “He was a wonderful man and everybody loved him,” Jaronczyk said.

Jaronczyk said he was in South Carolina visiting relatives on Sunday when he received news of the accident and "we jumped in the car and drove non-stop to the dock," staying until his son was recovered.

The father said he was especially grateful to Pennsylvania Search & Rescue, the team run by the Christian Aid Ministries that located his son's body. He said someone had approached him and given him the organization's number after the accident.

"It's a 100 percent not-for-profit," Jaronczyk said. "They drove five hours from Pennsylvania and they put their boats in the water and they stayed 30 hours nonstop."

Jaronczyk posted on Facebook to thank the Long Island community for its support during the search.

James Jaronczyk was a competitive boat racer who was practicing in his boat near Babylon after leaving John J. Burns Park in Massapequa Park on Sunday morning, his family said. He was an accomplished competitor in the Offshore Powerboat Racing Association and was preparing for a race in New Jersey, family members said.

With John Asbury