FBI Joins Oyster Bay Boat Investigation

FBI divers stepped into the salvage effort Monday of the cabin cruiser that sank in Oyster Bay on July 4, killing three children.

Nassau County police invited the team in to assist with retrieving the boat from its resting place 60 feet below the surface of Oyster Bay.

Chief of Department Steven Skrynecki said Monday that the FBI would be able to salvage the boat as well as secure any evidence needed in the investigation of the tragedy.

An FBI team 15, based in Quantico, Va., arrived in Oyster Bay and began taking video and conducting sonar mapping, Skyrnecki said.

The 34-foot boat, which was carrying 27 people, sank after 10 p.m. Wednesday once a fireworks show popular with boaters concluded. Overcrowding on the boat, bad weather and a wake from passing boats are among the factors under investigation.

The three victims -- Victoria Gaines, 7, and cousins Harlie Treanor, 11, and David Aureliano, 11 -- were trapped in the cabin when the boat capsized. The vessel then began to sink and drift.

Skrynecki said the FBI would be able to raise the boat, harness it and bring it to land for further examination. “Our focus is to gain as much information as possible, “ Skrynecki said.

Just after 1 p.m., four police vessels, including one from the FBI's dive team, left Roosevelt Marina for the wreck, sitting in 60 feet of water.

"They are the best people available to do this kind of work," said Skrynecki, who added "I'm not certain (raising) the boat will bring all the answers."