Police used a helicopter to rescue two men who fell out of their kayaks in Jamaica Bay on Saturday, according to the NYPD.
The dramatic rescue took place after 5:20 p.m., when the NYPD Aviation Unit 18 found one of the men struggling while holding on to two kayaks, police said.
Air Sea Rescue Helicopter 22 deployed two NYPD scuba divers to rescue the man by placing him into a basket, which was then hoisted up to the aircraft, police said.
The man told officers that his friend’s kayak tipped over 15 minutes before their arrival, so once he was secure inside the helicopter, they rescued the second man and took both of them to Floyd Bennett Field for an EMS assessment. Both declined medical attention, police said.
The @NYPDSpecialOps Air Sea Rescue Team stands at the ready 24/7, protecting the waterways of NYC. Their training and teamwork saves lives. Great job, officers! pic.twitter.com/2SNJnKLKsE
— Chief Terence Monahan (@NYPDChiefofDept) May 27, 2018
Police released video footage of the rescue.
“Air Sea Rescue Team stands at the ready 24/7, protecting the waterways of NYC,” Chief of Department Terence Monahan tweeted. “Their training and teamwork saves lives. Great job, officers!”
