A 68-year-old Center Moriches man who drifted into Peconic Bay alone on a windsurfing board and landed on Robins Island was rescued by Southampton Town Bay Constables shortly after noon on Friday, police said.
After receiving a call of a missing windsurfer at 11:50 a.m., the Suffolk County Police helicopter located John Vanderwolf on the northwest side of Robins Island at 12:22 p.m., wearing a wetsuit and standing in the water on a shoal, police said. Southampton Bay Constables, , and the U.S. Coast Guard were also dispatched in the search.
At the time of the incident, Peconic Bay was extremely rough with 4- to 7- foot waves with southwesterly wind gusts up to 45 mph, and the water temperature was about 40 degrees.
Vanderwolf was transported to the Robins Island dock in New Suffolk and was assessed for hypothermia byrescue squad and was released, police said.
