Southold Native Honored for Quick-Thinking on the Water

Capt. Andrew Haupt, a Southold native who now works in Florida with marine-assistance company , was recognized twice by the company at its 2011 Annual Meeting for his "Efforts Above and Beyond" last year.

Haupt, who works out of the Fort Meyers franchise, was one of nine employees honored by the Southold-based company, which has locations from San Diego to Montauk to Australia.

On Sept. 5 of last year, Haupt aided one woman to safety after she badly injured her leg while attempting to keep her out-of-control boat from striking a bridge fender. Realizing he could not move her to his Sea Tow boat, Haupt anchored his boat, called the Coast Guard and requested emergency medical assistance, and drove her boat to port, where the victim was tended to by a waiting ambulance.

In another incident earlier in the year, he and a colleague overheard a call on their radio about a boat fire roughly a half-mile away from them. The two responded quickly and Haupt, a former Coast Guard member, helped evacuate two individuals on board the boat and put out an electrical fire on board.

“I just did whatever any other captain would do in the same situations,” Haupt said.