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Video: NYPD Aviation Team Rescues Injured Hiker Stranded In The Palisades
By
Jen Chung
Published May 12, 2014
Modified May 12, 2014
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By
Jen Chung
Published May 12, 2014
Modified May 12, 2014
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Yesterday afternoon, members of the NYPD's Aviation Unit and Air Sea Rescue helped airlift a hiker who had fractured her ankle while exploring the Palisades. She was 200 feet up from the bottom of the cliff.
A volunteer fire department found it too difficult to rescue the hiker, Amanda Graham, who was about 2 miles north from the Alpine Tower in Alpine, NJ, and the NYPD was called into action at 2:30 p.m. According to the police:
With Aviation 19 assuming the command and control position during the rescue operation, Air Sea Rescue, piloted by Police Officer Seth Levinstein, positioned itself alongside the steep inclined cliff, and hovered approximately 50 feet above the victim before lowering Police Officer Edgar Burroughs, one of the crew chiefs aboard Air Sea Rescue 14, using the hoist, to the victim. Police Officer Burroughs, with the assistance of the Piermont Fire Department, was then able to transfer the aided onto an NYPD rescue basket while still on the cliff before stabilizing the victim and hoisting her onto Air Sea Rescue 14 who remained in a hover position approximately 50 feet above. Police Officer Burroughs was then hoisted onto Air Sea Rescue before airlifting the victim to Nyack Hospital in stable condition with a broken left ankle.
And here's video of the rescue:
Graham told the Daily News, "It was like straight out of a movie. As I was slipping I thought I was going to go all the way down, but I grabbed a rock. I was able to stabilize my fall and I didn’t fall too far down." She's now being treated at Nyack Hospital.
The NYPD named the officers involved with the rescue operation: From Air Sea Rescue 14, Police Officer Seth Levinstein (Pilot); Police Officer Derin Devouno (Co-Pilot); Police Officer Edgar Burroughs (Crew Chief); and Detective Christos Tzavelis (Crew Chief); and form Aviation 19, Sergeant Antonio Hernandez (Pilot), Police Officer Christian Delacruz (Co-Pilot) and Deputy Inspector James Coan (Commanding Officer)
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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