EMTs To Be Honored With Bay Shore-Brightwaters Ambulance Dedication

BAY SHORE, NY — Months after Brentwood emergency responder Bryant Ortiz died in a tragic motorcycle crash in Bay Shore last April, the Bay Shore-Brightwaters Rescue Ambulance crew that he belonged to is dedicating an ambulance in his honor in November.

The rescue vehicle will also honor George Mayott, an honorary Chief of Department and 55-year member of BBRA.

The rescue service announced the dedication in a social media post on Friday, the fire department wrote: "Join us as we celebrate the two newest additions to our fleet and honor two members whose lifetime contributions have shaped our organization."

The ceremony will be held on Saturday, Nov. 23, at 1 p.m., at BBRA headquarters at 911 Aletta Pl. in Bay Shore.

Ortiz was just 32 years old when he died on April 15 after crashing his motorcycle into a car in Bay Shore. Police said he was driving a 2006 Suzuki motorcycle southbound shortly after midnight when he struck the rear passenger side of a northbound Volkswagen sedan driven by Eric Ferrand-Diaz of Bay Shore.

Police said Ferrand-Diaz attempted to turn left onto Spur Drive North off of 5th Avenue when Ortiz hit him. The EMT was transported to South Shore University Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

In March, BBRA paid tribute to Mayott with a posthumous ceremony naming him an honorary department chief, calling it "one of the highest ranking titles within the agency" in an Instagram post.