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Christopher Cinque, third from left, was honored by the East Hampton Town Board, Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. and Suffolk County Legislator Ann Welker for being named New York State Lifeguard of the Year. Pictured with Cinque, from left, are Councilman Ian Calder-Piedmonte, Councilman David Lys, Thiele, Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, Councilwoman Cate Rogers, and Councilman Tom Flight. CHRISTOPHER WALSH
Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. congratulated Christopher Cinque for being named New York State Lifeguard of the Year. CHRISTOPHER WALSH
Councilman David Lys read a proclamation form the East Hampton Town Board congratulating Christopher Cinque for being named New York State Lifeguard of the Year. CHRISTOPHER WALSH
Suffolk County Legislator Ann Welker congratulated Christopher Cinque for being named New York State Lifeguard of the Year. CHRISTOPHER WALSH
Christopher Cinque, who in July was named the New York State Lifeguard of the Year by Smith Point Ocean Rescue, was honored by three levels of State government at the East Hampton Town Board’s meeting last Thursday, September 5.
Smith Point Ocean Rescue honors two individuals every year: one from its own lifeguard team, with the Smith Point Hall of Fame award, and another selected from all ocean lifeguard agencies across the state. Cinque, a lifelong resident of the town and a graduate of the Amagansett School and East Hampton High School, was recognized for his contributions to lifeguarding and his dedication to ensuring the safety of the community.
Cinque was certified as a New York State Level 1 Surf Lifeguard in 2009, promoted to lieutenant of Indian Wells in 2014, and to captain the following year. He was named East Hampton Town Outstanding Lifeguard of the Year in 2016. In 2017, he was promoted to second assistant chief, and in 2022 was appointed Montauk District Chief, overseeing more than 65 lifeguards.
Cinque “has demonstrated exceptional emergency response skills,” according to a congratulatory proclamation read by Councilman David Lys, “notably during a recovery effort” following the 2018 plane crash that claimed the lives of the builder and businessman Ben Krupinski, his wife Bonnie Krupinski, their grandson, Will Maerov and the pilot, Jon Dollard. This effort demonstrated “his ability to handle emergencies with composure and professionalism,” the proclamation reads.
He was awarded East Hampton Volunteer Ocean Rescue’s Member of the Year award in 2019. He has also served as a town Marine Patrol officer since 2022. The proclamation states that his “zero-drowning record and his dedication to maintaining the highest standards of lifeguarding are testament to his vigilance, professionalism and profound impact he has had on our community.”
“Tonight we get the chance for this year to honor the best of the best: the New York State Lifeguard of the Year,” said Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr., who read a proclamation from the State Assembly. “As your representative on the state level, it gives me great pride to know that the Lifeguard of the Year is from East Hampton, from our Assembly District, and it’s my pleasure to present you with a proclamation from the New York State Assembly congratulating you on this most prestigious award, and thank you for all your volunteer work, for all of your service.”
Suffolk County Legislator Ann Welker, who was once an ocean lifeguard at Southampton Town’s Flying Point Beach, presented a third proclamation to Cinque, this one from the Legislature. “For you to have this award as an East Hampton Town lifeguard, and the fact that you’re now working with the Marine Patrol and carrying on the tradition here of ‘everything water’ is just amazing,” she said. “I could not be prouder, and as the representative for both the Town of Southampton and the Town of East Hampton, it’s just a huge honor to be able to present this proclamation to you.”
