It was 7:15 a.m. and Gary Messina was on his morning run along New York City's East River. Suddenly something caught his eye — a man screamed for help1the current pulled him away from the seawall.
David Blauzvern and John Green2their phones and keys on land and jumped in. Messina, a police officer, also joined them in the river. Just as the man was3, they stabilized him, with Blauzvern4his back and Messina and Green holding him5from either side. After ten minutes, they managed to get to the river's6and stayed as close to the seawall as they could.
Fifteen minutes later, a rescue boat turned7. As they approached the boat, there came a new8: The wave created by the current was sucking them under the boat.
Blauzvern remembers being pulled down just as someone in the boat9on to the man,10Blauzvern to let go. Somehow, he grasped a pole attached to the boat deck and dragged himself11. The men in the water pushed the drowning guy while the men in the boat pulled him up and, finally, to12. The man they had saved was taken to the hospital for medical aid. Details on his13have not been released.
As for the rescuers, each of them was at work by 10:30 a.m. "I was a bit late,"14Blauzvern, smiling. "But I had a good15."
