Archive for the tag 'rescues'

Photo: Erica Sherman

In a press release this morning from Councilman Michael Nelson restating that his office is temporarily co-locating with State Senator David Storobin, the pol revealed that, like many of us, he too ignored evacuation orders and chose to stay in his office (1605 Voorhies Avenue) and take calls. Here’s what the release said:

On the night of the storm, the Councilman recognized the importance of his personal presence in areas of his district facing danger in order to arrange last minute evacuations and to be available to meet with emergency personnel on the scene so that everything necessary could be done for the safety and wellbeing of his constituents. Unexpectedly the Councilman’s office building located a few blocks from the bay suddenly lost power and started to flood. Nelson became trapped in his District Office at the time of the storm surge. Flooding occurred in the building’s basement, lobby, and elevator shaft and reached the 3rd step leading to the Councilmember’s first floor office. In addition, his vehicle on the street was heavily damaged. Later that evening, a little after midnight, his Chief of Operations, Chaim Deutsch rescued him.

Deutsch is also the founder of the Flatbush Shomrim, and it was actually Shomrim volunteers who risked their lives drudging through the mucky waters to save Nelson. Kudos to them for their selflessness.

Nelson actually told us about the late-night, mid-hurricane rescue mission earlier this week. We asked what he was thinking by returning to his office.

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A 7-year-old girl was saved by a New York City bus driver on Monday, after she lost her balance and plunged from the third story of a building in Coney Island.

The girl, Kayla, squeezed herself out of her family’s apartment at the Coney Island Public Housing Complex, and onto an air conditioning unit at about 2:10 p.m., policemen and witnesses told the Daily News.

She then began to dance and sing outside, while on the unit. A video posted by the Daily News shows that she lost control and fell after swinging one of her feet around the air-conditioning unit. Fortunately, her savior, Steve St. Bernard, 52, was nearby, and quickly ran and caught her in his arms.

“Please let me catch her, please let me catch her,” St. Bernard remembered thinking as she fell. “That’s all I could say. Let me catch the little baby,” he told NBC 4 New York.

St. Bernard was on his way home from work and headed to his own 7-year-old daughter when he stopped and saw Kayla on the air unit, said DNAinfo.com

A witness told the Daily News that the girls head hit a small bush after St. Bernard was knocked to the ground when he caught Kayla. Fire Department officials said that both were taken to Coney Island Hospital after the incident, according to DNAinfo.com.

The Daily News said that St. Bernard was treated for a ripped tendon in his left bicep, and was then released from the hospital.

Kayla only suffered from minor injuries and is feeling fine.

“She’s fine,” said her mother, Shaleema McCree, to the New York Post. “Not a scratch on her. The man caught her, thank God. It’s a miracle.”

McCree told the Post that she had taken a younger son to the bathroom when Kayla, who is a small-framed autistic girl, pushed her way through the window.

 

Ever seen a helicopter land on Brighton Beach? Like, actually on the beach? If not, watch the above video, because then you can say you have!

According to a Fox report, two people were stranded in the waters off Brighton Beach on Saturday. NYPD choppers arrived at the scene and plucked one of them – a 46-year-old woman – out of the waters using a basket. Police divers helped the other person – the woman’s 21-year-old son – swim to shore. They were both taken to the hospital but are expected to be fine.

Anyone have any information on how they got all the way out there? Did you witness the incident? Let us know!

[via MyFoxNY.com]

Stuart Fries, a Manhattan Beach resident and Sheepshead Bites reader, was boating yesterday morning, when he and his mates struck upon a fisherman who had been tossed overboard in the Rockaway Inlet. Too heavy to be lifted into the boat, this is his story – and photos – of how they rescued the man with the help of the Coast Guard, NYPD and others.

I was fishing on a friend’s boat in Rockaway Inlet near the Roundhouse and Buoy #10. At about 9:00 a.m., we see a 26-foot open boat, with someone in the water holding on to the back of the boat’s exhaust pipe, and there is no one on the boat. He yells to us, and we head over to him.

He is not in danger at the moment, and we were puzzled as to what happened. He had caught what apparently was a large striped bass and was fighting the fish on one side of the boat. Another boat came racing by, and the wave knocked him overboard – together with rod, reel and fish in the water that he had been fighting.

We had no ladder on our boat, and while we had several rope lines that we tried to make loops and a ladder for him to get him up on to our boat, he was about 250 lbs., and impossible to lift him into our boat.

Find out what happened to the boater, and view more photos

Emmons Ave railing after car drove into Sheepshead Bay

By now we’ve all heard about the woman and her two kids who, perhaps fed up with the parking situation in Sheepshead Bay, tried landing her car alongside Pier 7 on Emmons Avenue. And, of course, we’ve heard about yet another heroic Sheepshead Bay fisherman saving the day. Yes, the important parts are that no one was hurt. And that fisherman Keith Gorman gets the credit he deserves for his heroic acts. One thing we haven’t heard much about, though, is the damaged railing. So here are some photos taken on Monday. And we’re officially announcing the start of the countdown to the repairs. (Man, I’m glad she wasn’t on my insurance…)

Car drives into Sheepshead Bay, leaving railing on Emmons Ave in disrepair

Oh… and here’s a video for stickin’ around:

Early morning reports from the Daily News and the New York Post tell us that a car went into Sheepshead Bay. There were three people in the car and all three were rescued by fisherman, Keith Gorman, who was nearby.

Alla Yelizarov was taking her two daughters to a family birthday party and had just parked her car in an angled parking spot on Emmons Avenue near Dooley Street. For reasons unknown at this time, the car went racing through the barrier and ended up at the bottom of the bay. When, Keith Gorman, who was working on the dock saw what had happened, he immediately jumped in the water to save the family.

Whoever said that Sheepshead Bay party boats are dispensable probably never had their boat overturned in the windy waters.

Early Sunday morning on May 10, 2009, a 25-foot boat carrying six anglers was overturned when the winds and waves forced them into the chilly waters of Jamaica Bay.

Thankfully, a dance cruise boat carrying high schoolers celebrating their graduation was nearby. The captain and crew of the Capt. Dave II rushed to the mayday call — originating through the Coast Guard radio — and were able to rescue the entire crew of the capsized boat.

The rescued fisherpeople were rushed to nearby Coney Island Hospital and Maimonides Hospital in Borough Park, with all being released with a clear bill of health a little while later — free to check out their boat now docked at Sheepshead Bay.

Check the NY Daily News full story and see some pictures of the Capt. Dave II and its heroes, Capt. Dave Paris,Daniel Paris, and Larry Patrin. There’s no picture of rescuer Salvatore “Capt. Cody” Catapano, but we’re sure everyone whose life was saved will never forget his face.

The Daily News is aiding in the search for the savior of Jordan’s Lobster Dock heir Brian Jordan after he nearly drowned in Coney Island this weekend. Apparently, around 6 p.m. on Saturday, Jordan jumped into the water off of a Coney Island pier when his speedboat, Starfish, somehow became untethered. To hear the News tell it, he sank like a ton of bricks. Until, that is, a dark-haired, white-shirted figure rescued him from the depths and then mysteriously disappeared.


(Courtesy of NY Daily News)

As feel-good as the story is, even the News couldn’t avoid taking a subtle swipe at him:

It was all pretty odd for a guy who has been around water his whole life. Besides his family’s waterside restaurant, Jordan lives on a houseboat docked at the Venice Marina in Sheepshead Bay; he owns a sailboat and the runaway speedboat.

At the end of the article, Jordan ponders his offered reward, asking, “How do you put a price on a life?”

Hmm… the boat that almost killed you? Or the sailboat? Maybe those super-spiffy rich-guy golf pants you’ve got on in the News’ photo? Oh wait, you’ve already got something in mind?

“I’ll give him a big lobster dinner,” Jordan told the Daily News. “I’m beside myself with thanks.”

Come on, man. Seriously?[where: 11235][where: coney island]