Drowning at Stony Point Bay Marina 10-13-08
- Thread starter fourshaw
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God, that is a terrible, scary thing. What can you say when reading those reports. The poor man may have been too weak to help himself up out of the water, or he might have had some sort of an attack which killed him, who knows. Its just a terrible shame...
Dave, I feel for you, buddy. You start to wonder about that whole "karma" thing at a time like this. Life certainly is precious, speaking as someone who knows how close one can come to being gone in an instant myself. If I may pull a page from my Christian tradition, just remember that there is a season, and a reason, for everything that happens. It may not make a whole lot of sense, but there's purpose behind it nonetheless...
I pray for all of my fellow boaters for safe passage on our waters, safe rides home from the marina, and safe, sane times at work and with the family...
Dave, I feel for you, buddy. You start to wonder about that whole "karma" thing at a time like this. Life certainly is precious, speaking as someone who knows how close one can come to being gone in an instant myself. If I may pull a page from my Christian tradition, just remember that there is a season, and a reason, for everything that happens. It may not make a whole lot of sense, but there's purpose behind it nonetheless...
I pray for all of my fellow boaters for safe passage on our waters, safe rides home from the marina, and safe, sane times at work and with the family...
Loved ones remember boater, 57, as 'giving'
By Jenna Carlesso • The Journal News • October 15, 2008
CONGERS - One of Jennifer Moccia's earliest childhood memories involves fishing with her father on a boat.
So it didn't come as a surprise to her Monday that he was doing exactly that just before he died.
"He loved fishing and he loved his boat," she said. "That's what I remember ... me and my dad fishing together."
Vincent Moccia, 57, was preparing to dock his boat at Stony Point Bay Marina after a fishing trip Monday when he apparently lost his footing. No one saw him fall into the river, but people at the marina contacted police after they heard someone calling for help and saw the boat idling near the dock, Lt. Peter Quinn said.
Moccia was probably in the water for about 15 minutes when Stony Point divers found him, Quinn said. Rescuers tried to revive him. Divers also did a search of the area to see if anyone else was in the water. No one else was found, and police think Moccia was alone on his boat. His cause of death is under investigation.
Meanwhile, Jennifer Moccia waited for a call from her father that never came.
"I told him to call me from his truck afterward," she said. "Then I heard from police."
Among family members and friends yesterday, Jennifer Moccia shared stories of the father she called "a man of all trades."
"He was talented in everything," she said. "There was nothing he couldn't do."
A plumber for Bruni & Campisi, a plumbing, heating and air-conditioning company based in White Plains, Vincent Moccia could do anything from tiling a floor to building a house, she said. Which is exactly what he did years ago when he constructed the family's New York Avenue home from the ground up.
"He was very skillful, very much a handyman," Jennifer Moccia recalled.
And he was popular in the lower Hudson Valley, she said, where he had spent most of his life.
Vincent Moccia was born and raised in Dobbs Ferry, where he attended grade and middle school in the Ardsley district, and later Mahopac High School.
He had worked as a sheriff in Putnam County before becoming a plumber, Jennifer Moccia said.
Vincent Moccia moved to Rockland County in his early 30s, when he met Christine, the woman who would become his wife of nearly 30 years. She died in January, Jennifer Moccia said.
"He gave his all to his family," she said. "He was very caring, very giving."
Christine Cabral, a family friend, remembers Vincent Moccia as a father figure.
"Whenever I was around, he was like a father type," Cabral said. "He was a really, really great guy."
Visitation for Moccia will be at Michael J. Higgins Funeral Home at 113 Lake Road in Congers from 7 to 9 p.m. today and from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. tomorrow.
A Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 11 a.m. Friday at St. Paul's Church in Congers, followed by a funeral service at Mount Hope Cemetery on Jackson Avenue in Greenburgh.
Reach Jenna Carlesso at jcarlessorb2@gr5tlohud.com or 845-578-2494.
By Jenna Carlesso • The Journal News • October 15, 2008
CONGERS - One of Jennifer Moccia's earliest childhood memories involves fishing with her father on a boat.
So it didn't come as a surprise to her Monday that he was doing exactly that just before he died.
"He loved fishing and he loved his boat," she said. "That's what I remember ... me and my dad fishing together."
Vincent Moccia, 57, was preparing to dock his boat at Stony Point Bay Marina after a fishing trip Monday when he apparently lost his footing. No one saw him fall into the river, but people at the marina contacted police after they heard someone calling for help and saw the boat idling near the dock, Lt. Peter Quinn said.
Moccia was probably in the water for about 15 minutes when Stony Point divers found him, Quinn said. Rescuers tried to revive him. Divers also did a search of the area to see if anyone else was in the water. No one else was found, and police think Moccia was alone on his boat. His cause of death is under investigation.
Meanwhile, Jennifer Moccia waited for a call from her father that never came.
"I told him to call me from his truck afterward," she said. "Then I heard from police."
Among family members and friends yesterday, Jennifer Moccia shared stories of the father she called "a man of all trades."
"He was talented in everything," she said. "There was nothing he couldn't do."
A plumber for Bruni & Campisi, a plumbing, heating and air-conditioning company based in White Plains, Vincent Moccia could do anything from tiling a floor to building a house, she said. Which is exactly what he did years ago when he constructed the family's New York Avenue home from the ground up.
"He was very skillful, very much a handyman," Jennifer Moccia recalled.
And he was popular in the lower Hudson Valley, she said, where he had spent most of his life.
Vincent Moccia was born and raised in Dobbs Ferry, where he attended grade and middle school in the Ardsley district, and later Mahopac High School.
He had worked as a sheriff in Putnam County before becoming a plumber, Jennifer Moccia said.
Vincent Moccia moved to Rockland County in his early 30s, when he met Christine, the woman who would become his wife of nearly 30 years. She died in January, Jennifer Moccia said.
"He gave his all to his family," she said. "He was very caring, very giving."
Christine Cabral, a family friend, remembers Vincent Moccia as a father figure.
"Whenever I was around, he was like a father type," Cabral said. "He was a really, really great guy."
Visitation for Moccia will be at Michael J. Higgins Funeral Home at 113 Lake Road in Congers from 7 to 9 p.m. today and from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. tomorrow.
A Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 11 a.m. Friday at St. Paul's Church in Congers, followed by a funeral service at Mount Hope Cemetery on Jackson Avenue in Greenburgh.
Reach Jenna Carlesso at jcarlessorb2@gr5tlohud.com or 845-578-2494.
"Officers from Stony Point's police and fire departments, along with the Rockland County Sheriff's Marine Unit and the Thiells dive team, reached the marina about 8 p.m. after receiving calls reporting someone struggling in the water."
"No one saw him fall into the river, but people at the marina contacted police after they heard someone calling for help and saw the boat idling near the dock, Lt. Peter Quinn said."
These quotes of the account bothers me a little. Did any of those people who heard his calls for help and saw his empty boat crossways in the slip, besides calling the police, go out to the dock to investigate?
"No one saw him fall into the river, but people at the marina contacted police after they heard someone calling for help and saw the boat idling near the dock, Lt. Peter Quinn said."
These quotes of the account bothers me a little. Did any of those people who heard his calls for help and saw his empty boat crossways in the slip, besides calling the police, go out to the dock to investigate?
Too bad the people who heard call for help didn't have more energy to look around a little better? I'm darn sure if I heard a call for help I'd have done more then call Police with an empty running boat sideways in a slip?
boating_rob
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We do not know all the facts. Maybe they were looking and could not find anyone. At 8:00 PM on a weeknight this time of year not many people are around the boats at all and let alone it was dark out.
Condolences to the family.
Condolences to the family.
And apparently he was found under the dock. My wild ass guess is that when he went under the water he came up under the dock and then called out for help. Little wonder no one knew where the cries came from. Calling 911 in these cases is always a smart thing to do.
I think all the second guessing is simply because it is so heartwrenching to lose "one of our own" in such a tragic way. My first reaction was the same as some here, if I saw someones boat running & sideways in the slip no less plus a call for help...I believe I would have gone to great pain trying to find the person calling for help...in addition to calling 911. However, having said that, I was not there, someone may have done that but was unsuccessful in their efforts. Who knows what happened, maybe his boat was starting to turn when he fell in the water, maybe he was caught on something trying to avoid the props, maybe, maybe, maybe....but it all comes down to the same thing. The man died and that sucks! I'm sure more info will come out as to the specifics. I wish his family peace in this unexpected, untimely passing.