New York City will shell out $3.5 million to settle a lawsuit by the widow of a visiting Belgian firefighter killed when an FDNY fireboat crashed during an unauthorized pleasure cruise along the East River.
The money will go directly to Johnny Beernaert’s widow Heidi Vermandel — who was with him at the time — and their two adult children, according to the settlement signed in Brooklyn federal court and approved Thursday.
The city did not admit fault in the fireboat’s deadly June 2022 collision with a private fishing boat, whose cooperator, New York City Boat Tours, agreed to pay Beernaert’s estate another $500,000, records show.
But the settlement came after a damning Coast Guard investigation cited the pilot’s reckless operation and “unsafe speed” on Marine 1 Bravo.
“The family is satisfied with the settlement and would like to put” the tragedy “behind them and get on with their lives,” said Paul Hofmann, a lawyer representing Beernaert’s family.
City lawyers declined comment.
Beernaert, 54, died of “blunt force injuries” to the head and neck when the bow of the fishing boat rammed into the fireboat’s cabin, where the group — including his wife — was taking in scenic views including the Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn Bridge.
Retired FDNY Capt. Stephen Lonergan had invited them after showing up at the Marine 1 pier in Manhattan at 9 p.m. on June 17, 2022, and asking to take the fireboat on a sightseeing jaunt.
The commanding officer at the pier assigned now-retired firefighter Thomas Waller to pilot the impromptu joyride.
According to FDNY marine rules, fireboats must be manned by three operators — one officer (a lieutenant or captain) and two firefighters, including one to serve as a lookout.
Waller told investigators he “assumed” Lonergan and Beernaert would substitute as lookouts, a fatal mistake, according to the 28-page Coast Guard report.
At the time of impact, the fireboat was moving at a top speed of 28 mph, giving the operator of the chartered vessel “Honcho” — which was going at most 6 mph — just two seconds to react, the Coast Guard found.
The incident shed some light on the longtime misuse of FDNY fireboats, which are meant for medical emergencies, not to entertain friends and relatives of high-ranking officers.
At the time, the NYC Fire Department had no formal protocol for approving unofficial “sightseeing tours” requested by department members – a major flaw since corrected after a review by the city Department of Investigation.
