FDNY FF performs East River rescue

[Guest hoss]

Hero firefighter pulls man from East River

Michael Cook of Westerleigh swims 50 yards in frigid water to save sinking man

Sunday, April 09, 2006

By JEFF HARRELL

STATEN ISLAND ADVANCE

A Staten Island firefighter pulled a sinking man to safety yesterday morning in a daring water rescue under the Manhattan Bridge.

Braving the chilly waters of the East River shortly before 9 a.m., Firefighter Michael Cook of Westerleigh swam nearly 50 yards out and snagged an adult male who was spotted jumping in for no apparent reason.

"He was going down," fellow Firefighter John Vanderstar, like Cook a member of Ladder Co. 6/ Engine Co. 9 in Chinatown, said of the victim.

Rescuers responded to a call at about 8:50 a.m. that a man had jumped into the East River and was drowning, Cook and Vanderstar said.

When firefighters turned onto South Street, Cook said witnesses were "waving and pointing at the guy."

Cook, 29, grabbed a life vest while firefighters tethered him with a rope. Then the four-year veteran jumped in.

"I had to swim out for awhile," Cook recalled, estimating that he covered about 50 yards.

"I saw the tips of his shoes and just his eyes, nose and his mouth," Cook said.

"When I got to him, I saw him take one short shallow breath, and I realized he was alive."

Cook wrapped his arms around the man, and his Ladder 6 colleagues pulled the pair to shore.

Firefighters from Engine 9 helped them out of the water with a ladder.

Witnesses gave conflicting stories to firefighters as to why they thought the man jumped into the frigid water.

They described the man as Chinese and speaking in a Mandarin dialect as he was being placed into the emergency ambulance.

"One witness said he just jumped in and the cold got him and he stopped swimming," Cook recalled.

Another witness said the man "saw kids drowning in the water, and he jumped in to save them," Cook added. "But there were no kids in the water when I was out there."

Both rescuer and victim were taken to Bellevue Hospital.

According to Vanderstar, the victim, who was not identified, was treated for hypothermia and was under observation last night.

Cook received a hepatitis shot and a tetanus shot at the hospital because he ingested some of the water.

"I took in some of the East River water," Cook said, nearly choking at the thought of swallowing the heavily-polluted water.

Cook is scheduled to see a Fire Department doctor today for further evaluation.

For the most part, the hero firefighter admitted to being "a little tired," although he returned to his post at Ladder 6 yesterday afternoon after being released from the hospital.

"I guess the adrenaline is still going on," Cook said.