In New York City, a woman with a 5-month-old baby was rescued from the East River by former police officers who acted swiftly. The incident unfolded on Sunday, October 26, just before noon when the woman entered the river with the child up to neck-height, prompting a dramatic rescue.
The heroic ex-cops, including retired officer Kevin O’Donnell from the NYPD’s 109th Precinct in Queens, recounted the rescue to the New York Post. O’Donnell described hearing screams and a call for help, leading them to rush to the scene during their volunteer work at a local Halloween parade.
Paul Pinsdorf, a 20-year police veteran, took immediate action by entering the water to save the woman and baby as the situation became critical. Despite the woman’s resistance, Pinsdorf managed to pull her and the child to safety, with O’Donnell praising his bravery.
Following a challenging rescue due to a language barrier, emergency responders successfully extracted the woman and baby from the river. The woman was taken to North Shore University Hospital, while the baby was transported to New York Presbyterian for further care. The authorities are yet to confirm the relationship between the woman and the child or the reasons behind the incident.