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Local Kayaker Gets Stranded On Remote Island, Makes "HELP" Sign Out Of Sticks
By
Ben Yakas
Published Apr 17, 2020
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NYPD
By
Ben Yakas
Published Apr 17, 2020
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New Yorkers have hopefully gotten the messaging by now: social distancing is absolutely essential to stopping the spread of COVID-19. If you aren't a first responder or essential worker, you should do whatever you can to not be around other people right now for everyone's safety. But if you really must leave your home, try going somewhere less populated and more remote! Just make sure you don't get yourself stranded on an island in the middle of Jamaica Bay.
An NYPD spokesperson told Gothamist that the 36-year-old man, whose name has not been released, was reported missing around 11:30 p.m. on Thursday after he had gone kayaking in the waters in the vicinity of Jamaica Bay. He was missing for 12 hours when the Aviation Unit spotted him by helicopter on an island known as the Ruffle Bar.
As you can see in the video below, the man was able to signal for help "by starting a fire & spelling out help using nearby sticks before being found."
The man was picked up and transported to Floyd Bennett Field, where he was evaluated by EMS for injuries. He did not report any injuries and was not hospitalized as a result.
On the one hand, accidentally getting yourself stranded on a remote island during a pandemic may seem like a real oopsie moment—on the other hand, if you come prepared, stocked with groceries and a plan for shelter, is it really that crazy?! How different is it to being an astronaut, right? And aren't we all just astronauts in our own apartments now? It's all sounding pretty reasonable right about now.
If you don't want to purposefully strand yourself on a remote island, you could always normplay it, like going out for brunch... hey, remember brunch? Did you know you could get stuck on an isolated island and still go to brunch... with your imagination?!
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social distancing
COVID-19
coronavirus
jamaica bay
kayakers
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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