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Man Rescued After Jumping Into Hudson For Coat

2010_01_watrescu.jpg Yesterday, there was a report of a water rescue at 11th Avenue and 16th Street in Manhattan, and it turns out that the NYPD's Emergency Service Unit needed to fish out a man who apparently jumped into the freezing Hudson River after dropping his coat in the water! The Daily News has a photograph of the man, Eddie Morales, who appears dazed as cops put a towel on him.

The News adds that he was "Sapped of his strength by the numbing water" and "was bobbing in the waves, perilously close to the jagged remnants of an old pier off W. 16th St." ESU Lt. Larry Serras said, "It was definitely a dangerous situation. He couldn't lift himself out. He was hypothermic. He lost a lot of strength. He couldn't hang on anymore."

ESU divers jumped into the water, threw Morales a life ring, and were able to pull him out. The Brooklyn man was treated for hypothermia. And ESU Lt. Todd Sessa told the Post, "He couldn't talk, because his teeth were chattering. But he was thankful." After the jump, video of the NYPD's ESU:

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Comments [rss]

  • unsunghiro

    poor guy... he was probably still drunk from last night.

  • jaycjay

    That'd be odd, because it happened yesterday afternoon!

  • evbo

    Jen- There "were" reports, not there "was" reports.

    Just sayin.

  • Spirit of 76

    What I want to know is how he dropped his coat. In this kind of weather, I'd be wearing the coat, not carrying it around.

  • robingee

    Aw, I feel bad after seeing the picture of him.

    Also: "Detective Steve Miller tossed Morales a life ring"

    Some people call him the Space Cowboy. Some call him the Gangster of Love.

  • jaycjay

    He's in the video, at about 3:24. Doesn't sing, though.

  • robingee

    Who would want a coat after it was soaked in Hudson River water anyway?

  • jaycjay

    The way I heard it, he wasn't really worried about the coat. He wanted the sandwich he had stashed in the pocket.

  • NannyState

    It was his lucky coat.

  • jmaz98

    Did he at least get his coat back?

  • nicemarmot

    Actually the News says he fell in trying to get his coat. Which is significantly less dumb, more clumsy. I can relate to clumsy.

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