Coast Guard: 'We Treated Crowe Like Everyone Else'

Russell Crowe is one of the biggest names in Hollywood. But to an Eaton's Neck Station Coast Guard crew patrolling the waters near Huntington Saturday, he was simply a guy in need.

Launching kayaks out of Cold Spring Harbor this Labor Day weekend, the Oscar-winning megastar and a friend needed some minor assistance finding their way home about 10 miles away in Huntington waters hours after sunset. So they flagged down a passing boat at about 10 p.m.

"They didn't even know we were Coast Guard until they paddled up to us," said Petty Officer 3rd Class Seth Pritt, who, with two other crew members, helped the 48-year-old actor and his rented kayak aboard a 25-foot response boat — without any star treatment.

"We didn't even know it was him, so we treated him just like everybody else," said Pritt. "Hopefully people understand it wasn't one of those things where we saw it was Russell Crowe and decided to give him a hand."

Pritt said he had a feeling it was Crowe when the actor came aboard, but he wasn't sure.

"When we picked him up it was pretty dark out and he's obviously growing that beard, so it was pretty hard," said Pritt. "We knew he was Australian. He just introduced himself as Russell." 

Crowe and his companion were wearing life jackets and seemed to be experienced boaters, according to Pritt.

"They just ran out of daylight," Pritt said. "We took them into Huntington so their friend could pick them up. We went over to 7-Eleven and dropped him off there."

But apparently a Slurpee wasn't in order.

Crowe calmly walked to the nearby  on Huntington Harbor and ordered a Guinness at the bar, a shrimp cocktail and a burger, according to a New York Post report.

During the 20-minute boat ride to safety, Crowe spoke of a recent movie shoot in Iceland during the winter months, according to Pritt.

Crowe, who thanked the Coast Guard for their help in a Twitter message, is currently filming a new movie called "Noah" in Oyster Bay.