A tragic boat collision took place on Sunday, September 3, at Great South Bay on Long Island.

Louis Deritis, aged 53, and his wife, Renee Deritis, 50, residents of Oakdale, were aboard their 27-foot 1989 OC/MA boat when the accident occurred.

Suffolk County Police have reported that the accident happened at approximately 10:40 pm when Louis, who was steering their boat, crossed into the path of and collided with a larger 44-foot 1989 Henriques Sport Fisherman boat. As a result, the Deritis’ boat capsized in a region north of Ocean Bay Park, between North Channel and Range Channel.

Rescuers were initially unable to locate Louis, who was thrown from the boat due to the impact. Later, Renee was discovered by the Islip Fire Department divers inside the overturned boat. Upon being transferred to the divers’ vessel, she was declared deceased. Louis’ body was recovered by officials on Monday, September 4.

The larger boat, commanded by Ferdinand Caravousanos, 61, from West Babylon, reported no injuries among its passengers. While the authorities are handling the event as an accident, both boats are currently held for mandatory safety inspections.