The incident began at 12:04 p.m. when Coast Guard Sector New York received an emergency notification from New York City 911 operators about a vessel taking on water near Breezy Point (located at the tip of the Rockaway Peninsula and directly across from New Jersey's Gateway National Recreation Area and the Sandy Hook Bay), authorities said.
Rescue crews, along with the Sandy Hook Pilots and the New York Police Department Aviation Unit, pulled five victims from the water and rushed them to medical facilities. Four of the victims were unresponsive, the Coast Guard said.
Two were airlifted to Staten Island University Hospital, while three were taken to Coast Guard Station Sandy Hook, where EMS was waiting, officials said.
Coast Guard watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast and immediately dispatched three rescue boats from Coast Guard Station New York and Station Sandy Hook, along with an MH-65 helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, officials said.
The NYPD, FDNY, and New Jersey State Police are assisting in the ongoing multi-agency search and rescue effort.
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