Dramatic NYPD footage captured the water rescue of three men who plummeted through the ice covering Jamaica Bay in Queens on Friday afternoon.
The trio, all 22 years old, were floundering in the water after they crashed through the ice in Far Rockaway just after 4 p.m., police said.
The NYPD and FDNY responded to the 911 call for the stranded men and the police department’s scuba unit jumped into action.
The rescuers tore through the frigid waters and helped pass the waterlogged victims over to an aviation team descending from a helicopter, according to harrowing video footage shared by the NYPD.
The men were pulled from the water and laid limp on the crumbling ice as they were quickly tended to by the swarm of responding officers.
They were then airlifted by officers dangling from a hovering helicopter, according to the video.
Two of the men were taken to Mount Sinai Nassau Hospital in stable condition. The third was taken to St. John’s Episcopal Hospital, also in stable condition.
The Jamaica Bay seawater was approximately 36 degrees on Friday afternoon, according to Tideschart. It was nearing low tide when police responded to the distress call.
