Family of Belgian Firefighter Killed in FDNY Boat Crash Gets $3.5M
By John Annese
Source New York Daily News (TNS)
NYC will pay $3.5 million to the family of a visiting Belgian firefighter who was killed in a FDNY boat crash in the East River in 2022.
Victim Johnny Beernaert, 54, was aboard the FDNY craft Marine 1 Bravo on June 17, 2022, on a sightseeing tour with three other civilians including his wife and one on-duty firefighter, when it collided with the chartered harbor cruise boat “Honcho.”
On Thursday, a Brooklyn Federal Court judge dismissed the lawsuit filed by Beernaert’s estate and his wife, Heidi Vermandel, after she and the city came to terms in the case.
The owner of the charter boat, New York City Boat Tours, and its skipper, Edward Mattiace, have agreed to pay out $500,000, according to the settlement papers.
The Coast Guard determined the FDNY was at fault, finding excessive speed and inadequate lookout on the part of Marine 1 Bravo caused the devastating crash.
“My clients are satisfied with the settlement and they’re looking forward to getting on with their lives after their tragic loss,” said Paul Hoffman, Vermandel’s lawyer.
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