19 New York-Area Police, Fire Dept. and Citizen Heroes Honored for Lifesaving Water Rescue
New York, NY, April 10, 2007 -- The Life Saving Benevolent Association (LSBA) yesterday honored 19 New York and New Jersey police officers, firefighters, emergency services personnel, and citizens for their heroic lifesaving water rescues.
Klaus G. Dorfi, president of the LSBA and chairman of The Atlantic Companies, honored the award recipients today at a ceremony at the Seamen's Church Institute of New York and New Jersey at 241 Water St., New York. Among the dignitaries attending the event were Manhattan Borough Commander, Chief Michael Weinlein of the New York City Fire Department; Police Chief of Patrol, Nicholas Estavillo of the New York City Police Department; Captain James Ahern of the New York City Fire Department; and Chief of Police, Michael Donalty of the Newark, New York Police Department.
"The Life Saving Benevolent Association has honored the lifesaving efforts of more than 1,000 police officers, firefighters and civilians since 1850," Dorfi noted. "There is a need for heroism in every age. Today, we honor 19 individuals who deserve our thanks and admiration for their deeds."
The awards carry on a tradition begun in 1849, when the New York legislature granted a request from New York ship owners, merchants and insurers -- including The Atlantic Companies, a 154-year supporter -- to charter the Life Saving Benevolent Association. The association established 26 lifesaving stations at five-mile intervals along the Long Island and New Jersey shorelines. (These stations were eventually taken over by what became the U.S. Coast Guard.)
In addition to recognizing and rewarding courage in the rescue of human life at sea or on navigable waters, the LSBA contributes to non-profit organizations that promote maritime safety, including: New York Maritime College, State University of New York, Maritime Scholarship Endowment Fund, the Maine Maritime Academy, and the Seamen's Church Institute.
The heroic individuals (with their hometown and/or affiliation) who were honored are:
Officer Glen Koch, NYC Police Department: At 3:30 a.m. on murky July 3, 2005, Launch 3 responded to a call about an emotionally disturbed woman threatening to jump into the East River in the vicinity of the 59th Street Bridge. The poor visibility made it difficult for Launch 3 and other units to locate the woman, and it was two hours before a NYPD aviation crew spotted her, drifting northward in the current under the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Drive near East 41st Street. Launch 3 immediately moved to the victim’s location, whereupon Officer Koch jumped into the 20-foot deep water with a life ring, swam to the victim and brought her back to the launch, which had maneuvered alongside the pier. Crewmembers helped pull Officer Koch and the victim aboard, and the victim was taken to the East 34th Street Ferry Terminal, then to a hospital.
Firefighter Trevor M. McNeice, NYC Fire Department, Ladder Company 168, and Citizen William J. McNeice, Staten Island, New York: At 1 p.m., October 2, 2005, Firefighter McNeice and his brother William were cruising on their family’s boat on Lake George, New York, when they heard screams from a tour boat, which had capsized in 60-foot-deep water. As they moved their boat closer, they saw elderly people in the water. Firefighter McNeice and his brother dove in and swam to the sinking boat to help victims away from it. As they did so, they noticed others trapped below the surface and then helped a number of them to the surface and assisted them, some unconscious, onto other boats. Together, the brothers rescued 15 survivors, recovered a number of deceased victims from the chilly waters and also administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation to several victims.
Detective Andrew J. Surian, NYC Police Department, Emergency Service Squad 2: On September 17, 2005 at 8:10 a.m., Emergency Squad 1 and Detective Surian’s Emergency Squad 2 responded to a call about a man who fell into the East River at East 108th Street and the FDR Drive. They were informed the victim was injured and losing his grip on the retaining wall. Fearing the man was exhausted as he struggled to stay afloat in the 30-foot deep murky water, Detective Surian and another officer quickly donned dry suits and personal floatation devices and were tethered to a rescue line. Upon entering the water, the officers noted the strong current was pulling the victim below the surface. Reaching the victim, the officers placed a personal floatation device on him before moving him to a waiting Coast Guard boat. Detective Surian and four police officers lifted the victim aboard.
Fire Captain Brennan Holmes and Firefighter David Okst, both of the Port Jefferson, New York Fire Department: At 6:05 p.m. on a cold and windy December 5th, 2005, Captain Holmes and Firefighter Okst responded to a call of a vehicle and multiple persons in the frigid water in Port Jefferson Harbor on Long Island Sound. A witness had attempted to rescue the driver by entering the water and smashing one of the car windows with a pipe, but he was also struggling to stay afloat when Captain Holmes and Firefighter Okst arrived. Already in their dry suits, Captain Holmes and Firefighter Okst entered the 20-foot-deep water and swam to the would-be rescuer. They brought him to a pier, where he was removed to safety, and then returned to the fully submerged car. Reaching in through a window, Captain Holmes and Firefighter Okst located the unconscious driver and pulled him out of the vehicle and back to the pier. The driver was taken to St. Charles Hospital by Emergency Medical Service ambulance. Meanwhile, the would-be rescuer was treated on the pier and subsequently transported by EMS to Stony Brook University Hospital.
Firefighter Thomas Feaser, NYC Fire Department, Marine Battalion 21, Ladder 78: At 2:01 p.m. on a 20-degree December 13, 2005, Firefighter Feaser’s unit responded to a telephone alarm of a woman drowning in the Kill Van Kull where there was a 10 mile-per-hour wind blowing out of the north and 40-degree water temperature in a 5-knot running current. Finding two police officers and EMS personnel already on the scene, Firefighter Feaser was advised that the woman was under a pier. As he peered over the ledge, he saw that the current was carrying her out to open water. Firefighter Feaser, clad in a wet suit, jumped down seven feet onto ice-covered jagged rock. Seeing the victim was now submerged, he jumped in without a tethered lifeline, swam to her, grasped her and swam back to the rocks. Aided by two other firefighters, he made his way with the unconscious victim to a 20-foot straight ladder that had been placed down the nearby embankment. Her condition and soaked heavy winter clothing made it extremely difficult for Firefighter Feaser and the others to lift her up the ladder. Emergency Medical Service personnel treated her before they transported her to a hospital.
Firefighter Thomas F. McGlade, NYC Fire Department, Ladder 14: On Christmas morning, December 25, 2005, Ladder Company 14 received a call that a man had jumped from the Triborough Bridge into the 40-degree water of the Harlem River. When they arrived, a passerby directed them to the victim who was clinging to a bridge buttress about 120 feet from the shore. Firefighter McGlade jumped into the bucket of the tower ladder, secured himself with a rope and rescue ring and, after the ladder was positioned near the victim and fully extended to 85 feet, jumped 10 feet down to 25-foot deep water. He swam to the victim who was now drifting with the current. Firefighter McGlade grabbed the victim, rolled him onto his back and secured the rescue ring over his head and one arm. Other firefighters pulled both rescuer and victim to land and up a ladder that had been lowered by other firefighters of Company 14. The victim was taken by the Emergency Service Unit to Harlem Hospital where he was treated for hypothermia. Firefighter McGlade was treated for hypothermia at Cornell Hospital.
Officers George Sichler and Kenneth Fehn, both of the NYC Police Department SCUBA Team: At 8:30 p.m. on February 3, 2006 Officers Sichler and Fehn were dispatched by helicopter to a report of an emotionally disturbed man standing on the seawall along the Hudson River at 136th Street. As they arrived, they observed a male in the water barely clinging to a wooden piling. Realizing the situation was dire, the divers, clad in almost 100 pounds of SCUBA gear, deployed from the hovering helicopter into the 34-degree, 12-foot-deep water. Fighting a strong current, they swam to the victim, placed a life ring on him and swam him to shore. The victim was immediately removed to St. Luke’s Hospital suffering from hypothermia. He was treated at the hospital and released.
Firefighter Michael P. Krol, NYC Fire Department, Marine Company 1: Early the morning of March 6, 2006, Marine Company 1 at Pier 54 on the Hudson River responded to a report of soft cries of “help” from a neighboring pier. Firefighter Krol donned his cold-water-exposure suit and boarded Marine 1’s 25-foot Boston Whaler along with other crew members. As they approached, Firefighter Krol spotted a 48-year-old suicidal woman clinging to the pilings below the pier in a chilling wind, 30-degree-water and strong-ebbing current. Submerged pilings prevented the boat from moving within 12 feet of the woman, prompting Firefighter Krol to enter the water and swim to the terrified victim. Secured with a lifeline, Firefighter Krol calmed the panic-stricken victim, grasped her with a lifesaving hold, and began fighting his way back to the boat. The pitching of the boat in waves made it dangerous to attempt retrieval near the submerged pilings. So, the boat was slowly backed away, towing Firefighter Krol and the victim to open water where they were pulled aboard safely. Firefighter Krol administered first aid to the victim before she was taken by ambulance to St. Vincent’s Hospital, where she was admitted in stable condition. Firefighter Krol was treated for minor injuries.
Detective David L. Binder and Detective William Lawson, both of the NYC Police Department, Emergency Service Squad 10: At 3:40 p.m., April 5, 2006, an overcast day with 50-degree temperature, Detectives Binder and Lawson’s unit responded to an emergency call for a possible suicidal male about to jump from the Queensborough Bridge. By the time they arrived, the victim had already jumped and was floating in a semi-conscious state in the East River, about 10 yards from shore in 15 feet of water. Although the current was slowly bringing the victim closer to shore, there was no time to wait because the victim was repeatedly slipping beneath the surface. The victim’s heavy clothing and backpack threatened to pull him under for good. Without the benefit of a life jacket, protective suit, or life ring, Detective Lawson moved into the water and brought him to shore. Detective Binder entered the water and assisted Detective Lawson in placing the victim on a spine board and applying a cervical collar. After securing him, they removed the victim to waiting Emergency Medical Service and New York City Fire personnel.
Firefighter Michael Cook, NYC Fire Department, Ladder Company 6: At 9 a.m. on a rainy April 8th, 2006, Ladder Company 6 responded to a report of a man drowning in the East River under the Manhattan Bridge. Upon arrival, Firefighter Cook observed the victim struggling in the heavy rain and choppy water about 100 feet from the river’s edge. With no time to spare, he donned a safety life-vest and, tethered to a life-saving rope, entered the frigid 30-foot-deep water and swam through the chop and strong tidal current to the victim. With hypothermia sapping his energy, Firefighter Cook reached the exhausted victim, rolled the man over to keep his face out of the water, and secured his arms around the victim’s upper chest. Colleagues on shore pulled Firefighter Cook and the victim to the bulkhead. The victim was secured with an atlas life belt and lifted to a waiting ambulance by Firefighter Cook and his crewmates. Both Firefighter Cook and the victim were taken to Bellevue Hospital where the victim was treated for hypothermia and held for observation. Firefighter Cook was given tetanus and hepatitis shots because he had ingested river water.
Officer William E. Croft, Newark, New York Police Department: At 9:53 p.m. on June 16th, 2006, Officer Croft responded to a call that a man had fallen into the Erie Barge Canal. When he arrived, he and a fellow officer saw a body floating face down in the canal. Officer Croft donned a life jacket, jumped down 10 feet from the sea wall into the 20-foot-deep water and swam to the victim, a six-foot, four-inch man weighing 270 pounds. After turning the man on his back, Officer Croft swam the victim to the canal bank. By this time, the Lyons Fire Department had arrived and launched a boat in the canal, but the intoxicated man was too big to lift into it. Officer Croft held the victim’s head above water until the Fire Department retrieved him with a rescue basket. The victim was taken to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, New York, where he was admitted in guarded condition. Officer Croft was a member of the Lyons, New York Police Department at the time of the incident.
Firefighter Stephen O’Sullivan, NYC Fire Department, Marine Company 3: At 12:35 p.m. on a clear July 19, 2006, the crew of Marine Company 3 was checking its instruments in Jamaica Bay near the Breezy Point lighthouse when they heard a woman screaming for help from a boat anchored 100 yards away. Moving to that boat, they found a woman screaming that her friend had jumped into the water, but could not make it back due to a strong incoming tide. Marine 3 saw the victim struggling at least 1/4 –mile away and quickly moved to his location, where Firefighter O’Sullivan threw him a line with a life preserver. The large, overweight male, now exhausted from being in the water 10 minutes, couldn’t grab the preserver, called out “I can’t do it”, and slipped under the surface. Untethered, Firefighter O’Sullivan entered the 20- to 40-foot-deep water and swam to the victim. With great effort, he managed to pull the victim to the surface. The victim regained consciousness, panicked and began to thrash and struggle. Firefighter O’Sullivan held the victim’s head above the water and calmed him as he swam him to the boat. Another Firefighter assisted in pulling the victim aboard.
Chief Barry Brandes, NYC Fire Department, Battalion 41: At 6:30 p.m. on July 23, 2006, Chief Brandes was walking on the Riis Park Bay 14 boardwalk along the Atlantic Ocean, when he saw a 10-year-old boy drowning 30 yards offshore. Chief Brandes jumped over a fence, dropped 5 feet to the beach and ran 60 yards before entering the water. In the meantime, the boy’s father attempted to reach him with a boogey board but developed a cramp in his leg and was yelling for someone to rescue his son. A friend of the father attempted to save the child and was trying to keep the victim afloat when Chief Brandes reached the boy. The Chief swam the boy and the father’s friend to where they could stand and warned both to remain there. Chief Brandes then swam to the boy’s father who was holding on to the boogey board as it drifted out to sea. Chief Brandes grabbed the father and began swimming him back to shore when the friend swam out to help – only to get caught in a riptide. After bringing the boy’s father back to where he could stand, Chief Brandes swam back 40 yards to rescue the friend. Finally, Chief Brandes carried the father, who was unable to walk due to his leg cramp, to shore.
Officers Matthew Sherman and Darin F. Caputo, both of the New York Police Department SCUBA Team: At 2:20 p.m. on a clear and windy October 3rd, 2006 the SCUBA team assigned to New York City Police Aviation Unit’s Air-Sea Rescue received a distress call for an overturned boat in Raritan Bay, off Keansburg, New Jersey. Aboard Helicopter 14, the officers arrived to see a motorboat towing a capsized 20-foot sailboat. The motorboat’s pilot, unaware that a person was in the submerged sailboat’s cockpit, signaled that he did not need assistance. However, the helicopter’s crew chief observed a victim frantically gasping for air every time he surfaced. The crew was unable to contact the motorboat pilot to have him stop immediately. Officers Sherman and Caputo were deployed into the 10-foot-deep water where they signaled the motorboat pilot to cut his motor. After they freed the exhausted 300-pound, 70-year-old victim from tangled lines, they swam him to the stern of the motorboat. Both Officers, Emergency Medical Technicians, assisted the victim onto the boat and treated him for exposure and shock. He refused further medical treatment.
About the Life Saving Benevolent AssociationThe Life Saving Benevolent Association (LSBA) was founded in 1849 by a special act of the New York Legislature to operate lifesaving stations on the coasts of New York and New Jersey and to reward acts of heroism at sea. The association also encourages training in seamanship, lifeboat work, water rescue methods and submersion victim resuscitation.
About The Atlantic CompaniesThe Atlantic Companies, also known as Atlantic Mutual, is a group of diversified financial services companies with a Wall Street heritage dating back to 1842. The group is widely known for the Atlantic Master Plan insurance program, which is designed specifically for affluent individuals and sold through a select group of independent agents. The Atlantic Companies acts as a property-casualty insurer, manages claims for commercial insurance, and helps other business partners target profitable niches in the insurance marketplace. Additional information about The Atlantic Companies and the Atlantic Master Plan can be found at www.atlanticmasterplan.com.
| Contact: |
Peter G. Scott Corporate Marketing & Communications 973-408-6044 |
NOTE TO EDITORS: Photographs of award winners are available.
Source: The Atlantic Companies