A sailing expedition could have ended in tragedy if it weren’t for the heroics of a group of firefighters.
Members of Ladder Company 134 happened upon a capsized boat while driving by Jamaica Bay on Monday, June 19.
“We were out on building inspection and driving on a road close to the bay,” said firefighter Randy Eichin. “Our Lieutenant spotted the boat and we got to work saving the victims.”
The firefighters stripped down to their shorts, Eichin paddling out with a surfboard attached to a rope while fellow firefighter William Burns accompanied him on the dangerous swim with a floatation device.
“Upon reaching the boat I found two victims, a man and a woman,” continued Eichin. “The woman was panicked and looked as though she was in the early stages of hypothermia. The man was keeping his cool but looked hypothermic as well. As soon as they got hold of the surfboard the other guys from the company pulled us in.”
Engine Companies 328 and 246 were present as first response teams to provide immediate medical assistance for the duo.
“It’s not like we were unprepared for the incident,” Eichin pointed out. “We train in the summer to make water rescues, and in that training we learn specifically how to conduct a cold water rescue. It was a good team effort.”
This is the second incident of rescue in Jamaica Bay in a little over a month. Six were plucked from the bay on Saturday, May 9 after they encountered dangerously choppy waters on their fishing boat.
