Man pulled from icy Hudson
Troy rescuers save distraught person who jumped into the river
A city firefighter wearing an insulated suit went into the icy Hudson River on Sunday to rescue a distraught man who jumped from the sea wall, officials said Monday.
The Rescue Squad joined other fire companies at the scene in response to the call of the man in the river. City police officers arrived to find the man on the sea wall; he then jumped about 15 feet into the water.
The incident took place at about 3:37 p.m.
“Patrols responded to that area for an adult male who was in crisis. While our officers were speaking with the male, he attempted suicide by jumping into the river but was rescued by TPD/TFD (Troy Police Department/troy Fire Department),” Assistant Police Chief Steven Barker said.
Firefighters were able to get a rope around the man as he splashed in an open part of the river just south of Dinosaur BBQ, Fire Chief Eric Mcmahon said. Much of the river is covered with ice, though there are some stretches of open water along the shoreline.
“They had him with a throw rope,” Mcmahon said.
That’s when Firefighter Richard Bellamy, who wore a bright yellow insulated rescue suit to stave off the cold from the frigid water, was lowered toward the man. Bellamy then had to drop into the river to save him, Mcmahon said.
Firefighters feared the man would be overcome by hypothermia.
“You have a short amount of time to get to the individual and get him out of the water,” Mcmahon said. “Richie took a plunge into the water to put a harness on him.”
After Bellamy placed the man in the harness, firefighters and police officers hauled him out of the Hudson River near the north end of Riverfront Park.
The man, whose identity has not been released, was taken to Samaritan Hospital.
“It was a good rescue. It was a good joint effort between Troy police and Troy fire,” Mcmahon said.