Quick Action By Police Saves Life Of Woman Who Jumped Into The Hudson

YONKERS, NY — A chance encounter by the right person prevented certain tragedy.

The Yonkers Police Department says that last Wednesday evening, a retired YPD officer spotted shoes, glasses and a note left on the pier in the downtown waterfront area. He was understandably alarmed and immediately called dispatch indicating that someone may have attempted to harm themselves.

Officers in the AWARE Crime Control Center then reviewed several area cameras and realized that a woman had jumped into the water a short time before. Based on where she entered the water, officers from the 3rd and 4th precincts, along with the Emergency Service Unit (ESU), rushed to respond and to try to locate her.

Police soon found the woman trapped under the dock. The Emergency Service Unit then developed a rescue plan, put on their water rescue gear, and headed into the water to save her.

ESU Officers Park, Ascolillo, Thomas, and Fernandez managed safety lines to make sure that Officers Rotondo, Waldron, and Sgt. Barca were safe as they entered the water to perform the rescue. They were able to successfully bring the woman to a nearby dock for a medical evaluation. After being taken to a local hospital, it was determined that she was in stable condition.

"Once again, our Officers worked together to perform another great rescue," YPD said in a social media post Monday morning. "Our AWARE Crime Control Center quickly located the female, saving precious moments that would have been wasted in a large search of the Hudson River. Our Emergency Service Unit once again executed a technical rescue to perfection, saving the life of a member of our community."

The Yonkers Police Department and the City of Yonkers are reminding everyone that there are resources available to help when people are struggling. If you or anyone you know is experiencing a crisis or needs someone to talk to, call 9-8-8 to speak to members at the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline who are available 24/7. YPD and the Mobile Crisis Response Team also stand ready to help anyone experiencing a crisis, and can be reached by calling 914-377-7900.

The video of the dramatic rescue can be seen here: