Suffolk police helicopter crew rescues man after kayak flips

Nicholas Shakalis thought he might die Sunday morning when a gust of wind thrust him into the near-freezing water off Mastic Beach.

Shakalis, 34, of Plainview said he is an experienced kayaker and went to retrieve a duck while hunting in Narrow Bay. He said he was returning to shore when suddenly a gust of wind or a rogue wave overturned his kayak into the freezing waters.

“At first I thought I was going to die and tried to get back onto the kayak and I was exerting a lot of energy,” he said Monday. “My friend and cousin were on the shore and I knew they were going to call for help, so I just held on tight until help arrived.”

Shakalis was plunged into 40-degree waters with 30 mph winds, about a quarter-mile offshore. Police said he was in the water for about 20 minutes as he clung to the overturned kayak.

His hunting party called 911 from shore as Shakalis said he took off his lifejacket to increase his movement and held on until a Suffolk County police helicopter arrived.

The helicopter crew, including Suffolk police Command Pilot Sgt. John Vahey, Tactical Flight Officer Victor Federico, rescue swimmer Police Officer Jonathan Jensen and Stony Brook University Hospital Flight Paramedic Erin Carey, arrived within about 12 minutes.

The helicopter hovered about 10 feet above the water when Jensen jumped into the water and swam with Shakalis to nearby Pattersquash Island where the chopper landed and Carey began first aid. The helicopter then flew Shakalis to Stony Brook University Hospital, where he was treated for hypothermia.

Vahey said Shakalis was lucky the 911 call came in to get police and Center Moriches firefighters to rescue him off the shoreline.

“If nobody had seen it, we might not have known he was out there until somebody noticed he was missing today,” Vahey said.

Police said with near-freezing water temperatures, hypothermia can set in around 20 minutes when someone is unable to help themselves and lose control of their limbs.

“It was a little scary. Seeing the condition that he was in,” Jensen said. “He could tell me what his name was and how old he was. But he didn't have really use of his limbs anymore. He was barely holding onto the kayak and at that point, I knew that it was pretty important to get him out of the water and get him warm as quickly as possible.”

Jensen tried to keep him calm by asking his favorite sports teams. He said the NFL's Giants, which he later watched win before he was released from the hospital.

Shakalis started the first day of a new job Monday in Manhattan, but said he wants to return to thank the rescue crew.

“I didn’t want to die yesterday and I held on for dear life,” Shakalis said on a train leaving Penn Station on Monday. “I’m eternally grateful and I don’t think I’d be alive today if they didn’t do what they did. I’m definitely not going to avoid living life. The sunrise was quite beautiful this morning.”

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.