A state Senate panel will conduct a public hearing in Oyster Bay next month in the aftermath of the that left three children dead.
On Friday, Senator Carl L. Marcellino, R-Syosset, announced the meeting will examine current boating safety laws and regulations and whether changes are needed to The meeting, to be held at Oyster Bay Town Hall, is scheduled for Wed. Aug. 8. at 11 a.m.
The hearing will be held in conjunction with members of the Senate Standing
Committee on Investigations and Government Operations.
“This hearing will provide us with a forum to hear the concerns and ideas
of all those involved in recreational boating, Marcellino said. "Unfortunately, you have people out on the water now who might not realize how dangerous their actions can be."
Marcellino was recently contacted by the family of Victoria Gaines,
the 7-year-old who died in the July 4 boating tragedy, to enlist his help in ensuring greater safety measures are instituted on New York waters.
Gaines and two other children died July 4 aboard the a that capsized and sank in Oyster Bay after a fireworks display. Experts and are still investigating the cause of the tragedy.
Investigators have announced no new developments in their probe of the wreck.
said boating has become increasingly unsafe and called for new laws to ensure operators comply with reasonable
Among those invited to testify are the Gaines family, the U.S. Coast Guard,
Nassau County Marine Bureau, the Town of Huntington Department of Maritime
Services, Town of Oyster Bay Marine Enforcement Division and members of the
boating community.
New York State has nearly 480,000 registered boats and many other vessels that do not require registration, Marcellino's office said. The state, along with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and the , offers approved boating education courses that are recognized in all 50 states and Canada.
Oral testimony will be accepted by invitation only. Anyone interested in providing written testimony may contact Marcellino’s Albany office at 518-455-2390.
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