Injured fisherman rescued by off-duty Suffolk police officer

An East Patchogue man who severely injured his legs while fishing in the Atlantic Ocean Wednesday afternoon, was rescued by a nearby off-duty Suffolk County police officer, authorities said.

Officer William Parmenter, a paramedic, was fishing approximately 80 miles southeast of Shinnecock Inlet about 2 p.m., when a mayday call regarding an injured person came over his marine radio, Suffolk police said.

Parmenter contacted the victim’s boat through the radio, offered assistance and boarded the vessel with a trauma kit, officials said. 

The victim, Norman Orsinger, 66, was suffering rapid blood loss from both legs after he was punctured by a fishhook while attempting to catch a yellowfin tuna, police said.

Parmenter applied tourniquets to both legs and contacted the U.S. Coast Guard and the Suffolk Police Department's Aviation Section, authorities said.

Photos provided by the Suffolk County Police Department showed one of the victim's legs covered in what appears to be a blue rag and wrapped heavily in black tape.

A Coast Guard helicopter met the boat in the Atlantic, roughly 20 miles south of Hampton Bays, and airlifted Orsinger to Long Island MacArthur Airport. He was then taken by Suffolk police helicopter to Stony Brook University Hospital.

Orsinger was treated for his injuries and released.

By Robert Brodsky

robert.brodsky@newsday.com@BrodskyRobert

Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.