NEW YORK, Aug. 3, 2007
"Submarine" Causes Stir In NY Harbor
3 People Arrested After Odd-Looking Vessel Spotted Near Docked Queen Mary 2
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New York Police Department and U.S. Coast Guard vessels maintain a security zone off the coast of Red Hook, Brooklyn, N.Y., Aug. 3, 2007. (U.S. Coast Guard/WCBS)
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A New York Police Department harbor officer leans over to look at a replica of a Revolutionary War-era submarine called the "Turtle," near Pier 41 in Red Hook, Brooklyn, N.Y., Aug. 3, 2007. (U.S. Coast Guard/WCBS)
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Photo Essay Queen Mary 2 The Queen Mary 2 embarked on another maiden voyage around the world in 2007.
The vessel, with one person inside, and an inflatable boat carrying two people, were spotted near a security zone around the luxury ocean liner docked at the cruise ship terminal in Red Hook, Brooklyn.
It was not clear what the people were doing in the vessels, but police said there was no indication that the incident was related to terrorism.
The brown, egg-shaped wooden vessel, known as a "turtle submarine," is a replica of a submarine used during the American Revolution, said Coast Guard Petty Officer Angelia Rorison. It looks like a diving bell, with a hatch on top, and is about 8 feet long and 4 feet wide. It is propelled
by a pedal-operated paddle.
The Coast Guard issued two citations to Philip Riley, 35, who was inside the vessel, Rorison said.
"Basically, the vessel was not safe to sail. It had no lights, no flares. It was not registered," Rorison said. "Instead of safety violations, this could have turned into a search and rescue."
The investigation began after a New York police detective noticed the sub and the raft and summoned the Harbor Unit. Rorison said all three men were taken in for questioning by the NYPD.
"All three males are expected to be charged with a number of violations and both vessels will be secured by the Harbor Unit," the NYPD said.
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Add a Comment See all 18 Comments
- Lucky man
Only as they feared the vessel was bearing explosives did they not riddle the thing with .223 and 9mm rounds. A simple phone call could have saved so much trouble and even given the artist a "safety escort". Instead false bravado and a lot of wasted efforts for an art exhibition... The artist ought to be fined for all costs incurred.
Hey we can't expect the NYPD Harbor PAtrol to be Historians or Art critics. Just good brave cops doing what we pay them to do protect the cities harbor.. - Reply to this comment
- By all means, lets pee away our resources arresting folks skulking about the QM2, in a remake of a Revolutionary War relic.
Mother/father! - Reply to this comment
- Let's hope that when the police figure out what the three guys were up to, they'll tell us instead of keeping us in suspense. For all we know, they were checking out a new way to get illegal immigrants into the country! Or maybe illegal drugs. Or maybe they were just playing a prank. Or maybe they WERE students. Let's hope the cops tell us! LOL!
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- Absolutely!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! For a minute I didn't think you caught the humor in all of this,..... seems to be in short supply any more nowa days.
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- Sending them to jail, and probably even pressing charges, would probably be overkill. I'm just saying they had to know that in New York, they must have known that a stunt like this would get the attention of the cops pretty quick. But I have to admit this is pretty d--- funny.
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- This would have made a PERFECT Seinfeld episode....
Posted by global_chick at 04:49 PM : Aug 03, 2007
Exactly,... there you go girl! - Reply to this comment
- Posted by global_chick at 04:43 PM : Aug 03, 2007
C'mon where is sense of humor? Did they find explosives? They said ,..they weren't sure what they were doing out there. Should of known when they caught them! - Reply to this comment
- This would have made a PERFECT Seinfeld episode....
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- Peddling around the harbor in a sub:
NO SOUP FOR YOU!!! - Reply to this comment
- Come on, folks. The NYPD is just doing their job. And in a post 9/11 world, particularly in New York, I think common sense would tell you not to try something like this. For all we know, it could have been an attempt to recreate the U.S.S. Cole disaster. The problem is, they just didn't know.
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- George and Jerry was in the rubber raft,...tooo funny
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- Was Kramer in it?
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- I guess it's easier to catch people in a rubber raft and wooden egg than all the drug dealers and murderers?
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- Sounds like some one trying to justify their jobs
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- You've got to be kidding me? Talk about overkill!
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- Oh come on, It was a"Replica of the Turtle", don't you zipper heads have anything better to do? If it was me, I'd give them a "Police Escort" around the Harbor. Lighten up Guys, you saw they were no threat (other than to themselves).
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- so pedal powered boats and probably rowboats are not safe and should be impounded unless they are registered. What a laugh.
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- What were they going to do....drill a hole in the side of the QM2 and watch it sink? LOL They were probably some marine engineering students working on a senior project or something.
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