U.S. Coast Guard presents merit awards to two Long Island Sea Tow captains

SOUTHOLD, N.Y. – Sea Tow Services International, Inc., America’s leading on-water assistance organization, is proud to announce that the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard has recognized two of its Sea Tow Captains with Meritorious Public Service Awards. Captain Bill Barker, owner of Sea Tow Eastern Long Island, and his team member Captain Garrett Moore each received a an award from the U.S. Coast Guard for the swift and decisive actions they took in an incident involving a runaway boat in Greenport Harbor, N.Y., last year, stopping the boat and preventing the serious injuries that it might have caused.

On September 15, 2014, all six passengers were ejected from a 37-foot recreational boat traveling in excess of 20 knots in Greenport Harbor. Unmanned, the boat continued to run at speed in circles, threatening the people in the water and other boats. As soon Captain Barker heard a report of the incident he immediately responded, having the foresight to take Captain Moore along with him.

After determining that the boat’s six passengers were unharmed and had been safely picked up by other boats prior to Sea Tow’s arrival, Captain Barker matched the speed of his Sea Tow boat with that of the unmanned vessel while Captain Moore – disregarding the danger to himself – jumped aboard the out-of-control boat and switched off its ignition.

The Meritorious Public Service Awards stated that the Sea Tow Captains’ “…selfless dedication and distinguished service to the Nation in support of Homeland Security are most heartily commended and are in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard.”