Niall O’Shaughnessy, 40, jumped into the Hudson River on Saturday in order to save a man from drowning
A New York City medic jumped into the Hudson River in freezing temperatures in order to save a mentally unstable man’s life.
Paramedic Niall O’Shaughnessy, of the Fire Department of New York, stumbled upon a crime scene off a pier in Tribeca, Manhattan Saturday afternoon with his partner Mingze Wu, the New York Daily News reports.
O’Shaughnessy, 40, who is originally from Ireland, saw police officers using a life ring in an effort to rescue a man who had escaped from a nearby hospital.
The Irishman, despite the 24-degree, snowy weather, jumped into the frigid river and rescued him.
The 11-year veteran of the department successfully wrapped his arms around the man, who he said was ‘definitely hypothermic,’ and the pair was brought back to land.
O’Shaughnessy was treated at a hospital for a ‘warm up’. The man he saved is listed as being in stable condition.
Pictured is a scene from the rescue. The 11-year veteran of the department successfully wrapped his arms around the man, who he said was ‘definitely hypothermic,’ and the pair was brought back to land
It takes courage to do what Niall did today, placing his life on the line to save others,’ the EMS Local 2507 president said
‘It takes courage to do what Niall did today, placing his life on the line to save others,’ the EMS Local 2507 president told the New York Daily News.
NYPD Special Ops tweeted: ‘Great Job by #NYPD Harbor & @FDNY rescuing a male that jumped into the Hudson River. A FDNY Paramedic jumped in after seeing the male in the water. Responding NYPD Harbor launch #452 assisted in removing the male from the water.’
The man O’Shaughnessy saved was identified as Stephen Fantozzi, 50, the Tribeca Trib reports.
This is, in fact, the second time that the Irishman has saved someone by jumping into the Hudson River.
In July 2015, he rescued a woman who had jumped into the river near Pier 25.
Of course, the water was much warmer then.
And one year prior, he jumped onto subway tracks in an effort to save a drunken Irish woman who had fallen onto them.
NYPD Special Ops tweeted: ‘Great Job by #NYPD Harbor & @FDNY rescuing a male that jumped into the Hudson River. A FDNY Paramedic jumped in after seeing the male in the water. Responding NYPD Harbor launch #452 assisted in removing the male from the water’
The outside temperature was only 24 degrees was O’Shaughnessy dove in to save the man
O’Shaughnessy previously saved a woman from drowning in the Hudson River in July 2015 and he also once jumped onto subway tracks to save a fallen woman