By Andrew Strickler
Newsday (New York)
Copyright 2007 Newsday, Inc.
NEW YORK — Nine people on a pleasure boat in Jamaica Bay yesterday had to be rescued after at least two children on board fell unconscious from breathing carbon monoxide, officials said.
"The mother there was crying, 'My babies, my babies,'" said Brian McCarrick, 47, one of two Fire Department marine officers who responded to the emergency call.
"They were dizzy, they were down below," he said.
Members of the group - likely a family - received minor injuries and required hospitalization, fire officials said, but all those aboard were expected to recover.
Officers at the scene said the suspected source of the carbon monoxide was from a generator below deck, where some of the children were riding, although the cause of the poisoning was still under investigation late yesterday.
The group was headed toward Mill Creek Basin in Gateway National Recreation Area aboard the 'Lady V,' a 35-foot Carver cabin cruiser based in Staten Island, shortly after 3 p.m. when several on board were "overcome," fire officials said.
An emergency radio call alerted Glenn Johnson, 37, and McCarrick, firefighters from an FDNY marine unit who located the boat on the Brooklyn side of Gateway, near the Marine Parkway Bridge.
Once on board, they found two unconscious children who were breathing and two others who had regained consciousness, they said.
The pair of rescuers administered oxygen on two of the boys in the group. "One finally regained consciousness and started crying, which is good news," said McCarrick, of Shoreham.
After the boat was taken to a U.S. Park Police dock near Fort Tilden, two children and one adult were transported by helicopter to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx.
Three children were taken to Coney Island Hospital, and two children and the other adult went to Peninsula Hospital Center on the Rockaway peninsula.
The group of children ranged between about 6- and 11-years-old, McCarrick said.
They appeared to be members of a family, although fire officials could not immediately confirm their relationship.
