NYPD Saves Three Submerged After Falling Through Ice

The NYPD Aviation Unit, Scuba Team, and Emergency Service Unit teamed up with FDNY crews to rescue three people submerged in the freezing waters of Jamaica Bay on Friday, February 6, 2025. Dramatic drone footage captured the helicopter rescue near Norton Drive in Far Rockaway, Queens, after witnesses reported seeing three young men walking across frozen bay ice around 4:15 p.m. when they suddenly fell through and became fully submerged. Saltwater bay ice is notoriously unstable compared to pond ice, forming in unpredictable patches weakened by underwater currents that aren't visible from the surface. Even during extended freezing temperatures, ice can be dangerously thin in random areas. Once in water this cold, hypothermia becomes the immediate threat, with the body shutting down in minutes. All three victims were pulled from the water and transported to local hospitals. The rescue highlights the coordinated efforts of New York's emergency response teams and the hidden dangers of walking on frozen bays.