This is from the Official FDNY Facebook page.
“As we were headed over the bridge, there was a civilian waving us in. We stopped the rig and began to make our way to this individual. Our rescue swimmer for the tour, FF. Scott Hamelburg, already had his wetsuit on. We were midspan on the bridge, and we observed two kayakers 50 feet below us struggling against the current and wind. The civilian had thrown them a rope that they were clinging onto, which was preventing them from completely drifting under the bridge. We couldn’t deploy our rescue swimmer from that height due to hazardous debris in the water left over from an existing structure. We had to figure out an alternate way to lower the rescue swimmer to these two distressed kayakers. We decided to use one of our ropes to lower FF. Hamelburg. We took four turns with the rope around the top railing, and then FF. Hamelburg tied himself into the rope using a Bowline on a Bight and a slippery hitch. FF. Brendan Mohan lowered him down to the surface of the water. FF. Joseph La Barba assisted in feeding out the line and making sure the rope wasn’t chaffing. Once in the water FF. Hamelburg was able to secure the two kayaks with the rope, and assisted them to an NYPD Harbor Vessel where they were removed to shore,” Said Captain Ian Perdikou of Ladder Company 173, on a water rescue in Broad Channel Sunday.
