Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Kayakers Dunked in Waterfall Mishap
By
Dave Hogarty
Published Jul 12, 2008
Modified Jul 12, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Dave Hogarty
Published Jul 12, 2008
Modified Jul 12, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Photograph of the Brooklyn Bridge waterfall by John Del Signore; you can see the safety line
Yesterday, we noted that two kayakers were rescued from the temporary Brooklyn Bridge waterfalls yesterday afternoon, and now there are some more details: The novice kayakers, in a two-man kayak, had been in a group of kayakers paddling from Governors Island to DUMBO and wanted a closer look at the falls. Their group's leader, Erik Baard, described Bert Rosenblatt and Vladimir Spector as "goofing around."
When Rosenblatt and Spector got too close to the falls, they became sucked in by the powerful pump that drives the falls and the East River's currents and capsized. The safety zone around the waterfalls had also shifted due to the current.
Once in the water, the pair dropped their paddles and allowed their kayak to drift away, both of which are basically what you are not supposed to let happen when one capsizes. When an NYPD rescue boat motored up to disperse the gathering of kayakers clustering near the falls, they saw Rosenblatt and Spector hanging on to the safety buoys surrounding the art installation.
Fortunately, both men were wearing life jackets, but the frightened men were unwilling to let go of the safety barrier until ordered to do so by police. After turning off the pump that powers the waterfall, the NYPD Harbor Unit towed the men away from the art installation with life preservers and then pulled them from the water.
The NYC Waterfalls, designed by Olafur Eliasson, will be on display until October 13. Perhaps to reassure other kayakers, the Daily News reports, "Despite the scare, police said there was no risk of actually being pulled into the falls' suction system. Cops tested the system with dummies that were not sucked in."
Tagged
bert rosenblatt
governors island
nypd
kayakers
east river
waterfalls
vladimir spector
olafur eliasson
dumbo
Dave Hogarty
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Badly burned body found in a trashed and abandoned Jamaica Queens lot, NYPD says
The remains belonged to a man officials have yet to identify.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Oct 2, 2026 at 7:39 a.m. ET
Brooklyn DA brings back warrant-clearing event as quality-of-life tickets surge
The district attorney will host a warrant and ticket clearance event after the NYPD cracked down on quality-of-life infractions.
By
Ben Feuerherd
News
Brooklyn DA brings back warrant-clearing event as quality-of-life tickets surge
The district attorney will host a warrant and ticket clearance event after the NYPD cracked down on quality-of-life infractions.
By
Ben Feuerherd
Hochul names NY AG James as special prosecutor on alleged rape case at Cornell University
By
Jon Campbell
Founder of NYC LGBTQ therapy practice charged with rape after alleged sexual assaults
By
Giulia Heyward
US judge in NY indefinitely blocks ICE from making arrests at immigration courthouses
By
Arya Sundaram
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .