Fast-acting FDNY members saved a severely hypothermic man as he floated in the Hudson off a Manhattan pier Tuesday afternoon, officials said.
The unidentified man, who is said to be around 25 years old, was in the water about 500 yards out from Pier 54 when passers-by spotted him around 7 p.m., the FDNY said.
Marine 1 Lt. Tom Piambino was heading out on patrol with Firefighters Robert Hogan and Paul Napolitano from their base near W. 13th St. when they saw onlookers jumping up and down and waving.
The crew leaped off their 140-foot patrol boat and hopped into their new Marine 1 Alpha, designed especially for the FDNY to make quick rescues.
"We saw someone in the water," Piambino said, "He was almost unconscious."
Normally, firefighters would throw on protective gear before jumping into the water.
"We didn't have any time to do that," Piambino quipped.
Hogan, who has 15 years on the job, jumped into the 50-degree water wearing only pants, a shirt and a life jacket and paddled his way over to the victim and brought the man back to the boat, Piambino said.
"He was suffering from hypothermia," Piambino continued. "He was pretty blue, he was responsive but he was incoherent...He was trying to tell me his name but I couldn't understand him."
The "terrified" victim was only able to mutter the words, "I'm very, very cold," Piambino recalled.
The team wrapped the fully-clothed man in blankets and gave him oxygen before he was taken to Bellevue Hospital where he was listed in critical but stable condition Tuesday night.
The Marine 1 Alpha - capable of clocking speeds up to 60 mph - aided in the quick eight-minute rescue, Piambino said.
"We zipped right around and spotted him right away," he said.
Although it was unclear how the man ended up in the river, Piambino noted that warmer weather brings more water rescues.
"It happens more than people might think," he said.
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