Firefighters summoned Coast Guard helicopter

Rochester firefighters called for a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter after a rescue attempt in the Genesee River near High Falls went wrong on Sunday, May 17, according to local officials and news reports. The Rochester Fire Department had responded shortly before 6 p.m. to reports of a person trapped on an island near the Pont de Rennes bridge in downtown Rochester. Fire crews first tried to reach the man by water, but strong current and worsening river conditions stopped that effort. A Coast Guard helicopter later removed the man from the island, and officials said no firefighters were injured. ### Why were Rochester firefighters calling the Coast Guard at all? The Rochester Fire Department said the man was stranded on an island below the falls near the Pont de Rennes bridge on Sunday evening. The department sent its Swift Water Rescue Team, Water Rescue 1, and rope rescue and downstream safety units to the scene as part of the initial response. (whec.com) Lt. Howard Villegas, the fire department’s public information officer, told RochesterFirst that firefighters first tried to launch a rope rescue, but the current in the river was too strong. Villegas said crews sometimes attempt to cross such rivers themselves, but call for “a little extra help” when the conditions become unmanageable. (whec.com) ### What happened to the firefighters in the river? Two firefighters entered the water on a rescue craft as part of the technical rescue attempt, the Rochester Fire Department said. The department said the current was so strong and the river conditions so hazardous that the firefighters could not safely cross the river and were thrown from the craft into the water. (rochesterfirst.com) RFD said one firefighter needed help getting back to shore, but both returned safely and neither suffered reported injuries. News10NBC initially reported that three firefighters had been thrown into the water, but later published an editor’s note saying the department had corrected that number to two. ### Who was the person being rescued? Rochester police said the victim was a man in his 50s, according to RochesterFirst. (whec.com) Police said he had jumped from a nearby bridge in the city and gone over High Falls before ending up stranded on the island. First responders said he was distraught but walking on his own when crews found him beneath the bridge. David Abdoch, a deputy chief with the Rochester Fire Department, told RochesterFirst he had handled rescue operations in the area before but had never dealt with a case in which someone went over the falls and survived. “I have never dealt with someone who’s gone over the falls and survived,” Abdoch said. ### How did the helicopter rescue work? (rochesterfirst.com) A U.S. Coast Guard rescue helicopter carried out the final extraction after Rochester firefighters asked for help, the fire department said. RochesterFirst reported that the helicopter came from Detroit, Michigan, and brought the stranded man aboard within minutes once it arrived on scene. 13WHAM and News10NBC both described the operation as a joint rescue by the Coast Guard and Rochester firefighters near High Falls. (rochesterfirst.com) The fire department said the stranded person had no reported injuries when the rescue was completed. ### What have officials said since the rescue? (whec.com) Lt. Villegas told RochesterFirst that firefighters were able to stay calm and “come up with a solution pretty quickly,” adding, “At the moment, no one is injured, so we’re happy about that.” The man was taken to Strong Hospital for a mental health evaluation, RochesterFirst reported, and his condition was not disclosed. (13wham.com) The Rochester Fire Department said it is reviewing the incident to determine what worked and what could be improved. As of Thursday, May 21, department leaders said that review was still underway. (rochesterfirst.com)