Reckless operation and “dangerous speed” of an FDNY fireboat during a pleasure cruise to the Statue of Liberty caused the death of a visiting Belgian firefighter, according to the findings of a US investigation. Coast Guard obtained by The Post.
The fatal collision with a private fishing boat on the night of June 17, 2022 occurred because the lone firefighter piloting the Marine 1 Bravo zoomed along the East River at a maximum speed of 28 mph – giving the The operator of the charter vessel “Honcho” – which was traveling at a maximum speed of 6 mph – only had two seconds to react, according to a 28-page Coast Guard report.
The ride on an FDNY fireboat intended for medical emergencies also lacked a mandatory “lookout” to help spot danger. The FDNY pilot failed to use radar to detect other vessels, the report said.
No one on board the fireboat saw the accident coming.
Additionally, the investigation found that the New York Fire Department had no formal protocol for approving unofficial “sightseeing” requests by department members for friends and family – a fatal flaw that has since been corrected. following an examination by the city’s Department of Investigation.
The visiting firefighter, Johnny Beernaert, 54, died from “blunt force injuries” to the head and neck when the bow of the fishing boat struck the fireboat’s cabin, the report said.
The Honcho’s pilot spotted the FDNY boat approaching “from about 100 feet at a high rate of speed” but “assumed…it would stay on course.”
The four fireboat survivors told investigators the accident occurred “without any indication that they were about to hit anything.”
Beernaert could not be restarted.
“He died in his wife’s arms,” said Paul Hofmann, lawyer for Beernaert’s widow, Heidi Vermandel, who accompanied him on the cruise.
“It was supposed to be the best trip of their lives. It was the biggest disaster,” he added.
“This has caused enormous disruption and suffering to a lovely family.”
Beernaert, a sergeant in the Belgian army and father of 20-year-old twins, had planned to retire in a year but continue working as a firefighter, paramedic and rescue diver.
Vermandel is suing NYC and New York Boat Tours in Brooklyn federal court.
The Coast Guard has not yet made its report public, but has provided it to Vermandel, the FDNY and NYC Boat Tours, which indicated in court papers Tuesday that the explosive findings could move the case to private mediation with a view to a possible settlement.
The tragedy occurred after retired FDNY Capt. Stephen Lonergan showed up at Marine Pier 1 in Manhattan at 9 p.m. and asked to take the fireboat for a cruise with visiting firefighter Johnny Beernaert and their two wives.
Marine 1’s duty commander, who is not identified in the report, approved the “impromptu excursion,” the report says — apparently without consulting superiors.
The officer assigned firefighter Thomas Waller, also unnamed in the report, to operate the ride alone.
According to FDNY maritime rules, the fireboat must be manned by three operators: an officer (a lieutenant or captain) and two firefighters, including one to serve as a lookout.
Waller told investigators he “assumed” Lonergan and Beernaert would act as lookouts — a serious mistake, according to the report.
Beernaert was unresponsive after the blow to the head. Lonergan tried CPR to revive him, to no avail.
He was pronounced dead at Bellevue Hospital. The others were treated for minor injuries.
The fireboat circled the Statue of Liberty while guests took photos, then headed to the Brooklyn Bridge to take more photos.
Bright lights along the shoreline near Brooklyn Bridge Park and “heavy traffic jams” on the waterway likely prevented Waller from seeing the Honcho, the report said.
But Waller could have avoided the accident if he drove at a “slower speed”, it is said.
The pilots of both ships tested negative for alcohol and dangerous drugs.
The Coast Guard concluded by lambasting the FDNY’s common practice of letting high-ranking officers or VIPs use the fireboats for pleasure cruises.
“Sightseeing tours like the one undertaken on the night of the death were something that was commonly arranged at the request of those associated with the FDNY for entertainment purposes, without any hindrance or supervision,” the report states.
New York Post
