In New York City, former police officers acted swiftly to rescue a woman and her 5-month-old baby from the East River. The alarming incident occurred on Sunday, October 26, around midday when the woman waded into the river with the child up to her neck.
The heroic rescue was described by retired officer Kevin O’Donnell, formerly of the NYPD’s 109th Precinct in Queens, to the New York Post. O’Donnell, along with his colleague Paul Pinsdorf, a 20-year police veteran, were at the College Point Halloween parade when they heard screams and rushed to the scene. Pinsdorf immediately dialed for emergency assistance as he prepared to enter the water to save the drowning pair.
Pinsdorf recounted the urgency of the situation as the baby was almost submerged, prompting him to act swiftly to bring them to safety. Despite the woman’s resistance, he managed to pull her and the child to safety with O’Donnell’s support.
According to O’Donnell, Pinsdorf’s quick action from behind prevented a potential tragedy as he grabbed both the woman and the baby, pulling them out of the water. The challenging rescue was further complicated by a language barrier, causing a commotion as they reached the shore.
Emergency services and the NYPD promptly responded, successfully extracting the woman and the baby from the water. The woman was taken to North Shore University Hospital, while the baby was transported to New York Presbyterian Hospital. The NYPD has not disclosed the relationship between the woman and the baby or the motives behind her actions.
