By air and sea, cops worked quickly to rescue two kayakers who fell into Jamaica Bay in Queens on Saturday afternoon.
Police responded to a 911 call at 5:20 p.m. on May 26 that the two boaters had fallen into Jamaica Bay, within the confines of the Rockaway-based 100th Precinct.
Members of the NYPD Aviation Unit flew over and found a man struggling to hold on to two kayaks. The Aviation Unit was joined moments later by a crew onboard Air/Sea Rescue Helicopter 22, which then deployed two scuba divers into the water.
Law enforcement sources said the man told the divers that his friend’s kayak had capsized about 15 minutes before they arrived, and pointed them in the direction where he had been last seen. Using a rescue basket, the divers raised the man onto the helicopter.
Moments later, cops observed the second boater in the water. The divers were then redeployed with the rescue basket, and brought the second man out of the water and onto the chopper.
Helicopter 22 flew the victims to Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn. There, paramedics examined the victims, both of whom refused medical attention.
On Saturday night, the NYPD posted a group photo of the victims with the officers who saved their lives: Police Officers Laura Zbikowski, Jonathan McAuley, Kenneth White, Michael Guida and Robin Rohner.
