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On Sunday, September 3, a boating accident in Great South Bay led to the death of a Long Island couple. According to CBS, Suffolk Police have identified the pair as Louis Deritis, 53, and Renee Deritis, 50. The circumstances that led up to the crash are currently under police investigation. Officials have not mentioned the possibility of foul play.
Trigger warning: This article concerns a fatal accident. Readers' discretion is advised.
According to ABC, the Great South Bay crash was most likely caused by a collision between the Deritis' vessel and a fishing boat. While Renee Deritis was found dead at the scene, Louis Deritis' body was discovered on Monday morning. There were no other injuries reported in the incident.
No charges will be filed against the fishing boat operator in the Great South Bay collision
On Sunday morning, the Deritis' were on a 27-foot boat on the Great South Bay. Besides the married couple, the boat had four other occupants, including 61-year-old operator, Ferdinand Caravousanos.
At approximately 10 am, the Deritis' boat collided with a fishing boat, causing the former to capsize. In the ensuing chaos, Louis Deritis' body was violently ejected into the water. Renee Deritis, on the other hand, was found dead in the cabin by a diver.
Bay Shore Fire Department Chief Roy Ekelund Jr discussed the efforts of the divers to find the bodies:
"Another call came in that there was a boat overturned with no one in the water, so we assumed somebody was trapped in the boat. The second diver was able to locate the female victim underneath the boat in the cabin. It is terrible. Middle of the night."
In an interview with CBS, Suffolk County Police Deputy Chief William Scrima speculated about the accident. He added that no illegal substances may have been involved, and that he does not expect any criminal charges to be filed against the boat operators.
Chief Scrima explained:
"The smaller vessel, where the victims were headed eastbound initially and for an unexplained reason abruptly turned in a northerly direction in front of the larger boat. The larger vessel pulled the throttle back, but the momentum caused the collision."
On Sunday night, the search for Louis Deritis' body was reportedly complicated by the weather in the Great South Bay area. Officials noted that a diver attempted to search in the area around the crash, but kept getting pushed back by the tide. Eventually, the search was resumed on Monday, leading to the discovery of the 53-year-old victim's body.
As noted by ABC NY, the Deritis' left behind a son and a daughter.
