Long Island

Husband and wife found dead after Long Island boat crash: Police

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Two people, a husband and wife, were killed in a boating crash between two vessels on the Great South Bay off Long Island, according to police and fire officials.

The crash occurred just before 11 p.m. Sunday night near Seaview, the Islip Fire Department said, just north of Ocean Bay Park. When first responders got out onto the water, they discovered one of the boats had overturned, and they began to look for victims.

Two people from Oakdale were found dead in the water and submerged boat, Suffolk County police confirmed. They were identified as 53-year-old Louis Deritis and his wife, 50-year-old Renee Deritis.

A rescue diver located one of the victims, Renee, in the cabin of the partially sunken boat, police said. She was pronounced dead at the scene. The body of Louis Deritis was found later Monday morning in the water.

While the circumstances of the crash and what led up to it are still under investigation, police believe that the Deritis' 27-foot boat collided with another 44-foot vessel while making a sudden turn, causing the smaller boat to capsize. There were no initial signs indicated that alcohol or drugs played a role in the crash, and Suffolk County police called it a "tragic accident."

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