Safety behind the wheel was the message this week, both on Long Island roads and South Shore waterways, as Babylon and Islip officials, along with Suffolk County officials, gathered to spread the word before Memorial Day weekend.
On May 20, Babylon Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer and Islip Town Supervisor Angie Carpenter joined forces at West Islip Marina, accompanied by representatives from the town’s parks departments and public safety divisions.
The following day, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine and Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin R. Catalina held a press conference at the Suffolk County Police Headquarters in Yaphank to announce an increase in highway personnel during the summer months.
“Your lifejacket is your seatbelt on the water,” Supervisor Carpenter stressed. The law requires one properly fitted lifejacket per passenger aboard, with wear being mandatory for all children under 13.
Gina Lieneck was also present at the Babylon/Islip press conference. Lieneck was the primary advocate for the passage of Brianna’s Law, requiring boater safety certification for all motorized vessel operators after the tragic death of her 11-year-old daughter, Brianna Lieneck, offshore of Fire Island in 2005.
“Go out and have a good time,” said Lieneck during an emotional speech behind the podium, “but think of the lives around you, because a family may never recover from it. This August 20 years, and [my family] are still suffering the effects because three men decided to be irresponsible. They could have taken a ferry or had a designated driver, so please think of all the lives around you. Think of all the scenless accidents that happened on our waterways that were avoidable, and take responsibility for yourself.”
Brianna would have been turning 31 years old this year, had she not lost her life to a reckless boater.
Andrew Cuomo signed Brianna’s Law in 2019, but its implementation has been conducted in tiers, phasing in the boater safety requirement by year of birth. 2025 marks the first year that Brianna’s Law is in full effect, and the certification is required for all New York boaters of every age, regardless of how many years they have navigated the waters.
Meanwhile, in Yaphank, Romaine and Commissioner Catalina announced an increased police presence, collaborating with the Suffolk Intensified Traffic Enforcement (SITE) team on highways, as well as the Selective Alcohol Fatality Enforcement Team (SAFE-T), to patrol marine boats and monitor for intoxicated boaters. At the conference, several police officers received Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) awards for their contributions to vigilant highway sobriety enforcement. Highway Officer Gregory Sandbichler, received additional recognition for leading the state with 99 Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) arrests.
Earlier this year, Congressmen Andrew Garbarino of Sayville and Nick Lalota of Hauppauge introduced H.R. 2772, the Brianna Lieneck Boating Safety Act of 2025, to the U.S. House of Representatives. If passed, Brianna’s Law would go national.
The Town of Islip will host its final free Boater Safety Course for the summer on Saturday, June 14. This New York State-approved course offers lifetime certification in compliance with Brianna’s Law. Registration is available through the Town’s Cultural Affairs Office at (631) 224-5430.
