Tarrytown, Sleepy Hollow Marine Volunteers Honored for Sandy Rescue

Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow fared relatively well during Hurricane Sandy – many suffering long-term power outages but no real lasting damages from the winds and rains – however there was one exciting rescue story during the super-storm.

Over one year ago, on the night of October 29, 2012, first-floor tenants of the Franklin Court apartments across from the Tarrytown Police Station found water rushing into their building at high tide, reaching heights of up to five feet. Though many faced only a few inches of water inside their own apartments, they were effectively living on an island. Crews first responded to a call at 9 p.m. from an elderly woman with medical issues who was stranded in her home.

Tarrytown Fire Department Marine Unit 31 and Sleepy Hollow Marine Unit 27 volunteers worked in tandem from a 12-feet inflatable boat with its motor removed, navigating the hallways collecting those left behind, mostly elderly and youth. A four-man team with ropes tied to the boat would go to a door and get tenants to safety and then come back to get some more.

The men got 15 people out that night, who were temporarily housed up the road in cots at the Main Street firehouse. In the morning they were greeted with a huge firehouse-style breakfast and were able to return home later that day when conditions were considered safe.

The efforts of the volunteers will not go unrecognized. On Thursday, the 17 men will be awarded by the Westchester County Volunteer Firefighters Association for their action.

The men are:

Tarrytown FD Members:

Chiefs Eugene Gasparre and Bill Logan, Jr.

Firefighters Bill Logan, Sr. (Marine Unit Captain), Kevin Igwe, Bill Mahar, Charles Boyce, Ryan Nyarady, Mike Coffey, Jr., Chris Garcia, Jaime Valencia, Andrew Wilgermein and Miguel Valle

Sleepy Hollow FD Members:

Chiefs John Korzalius and Patrick Haggerty

Firefighters Anthony Multari, James Hayes, and Marco Faustino