Patchogue emergency responders received a call around 5 a.m. on Thursday, June 15 to reports of a vehicle driving off the Mascot Wharf and into Patchogue Bay near Southern Ocean Drive.
surveillance video Video released by police shows a Nissan sedan driving in the driveway before making a sharp left turn onto the sidewalk before crashing into the water.
A Suffolk County Police Officer and a member of the Patchogue Fire Department acted quickly to free the Patchogue driver, identified as Nestor Riosarvealo, according to Suffolk County Police.
All three men were taken to Long Island Community Hospital in Patchogue for minor injuries. They were later released.
Suffolk County Police Constable Edward Petre said at a news conference on Friday, June 16 that he saw vehicles flooded as soon as he arrived at the scene.
“I know I have precious time, I don’t really have much time to think, I just need to get in the water,” he said.
Petre jumped into the water and tried to break the car window, but was unable to.
Seeing Pitre struggling, Patchogue Fire Department member Peter Feehan grabbed a special tool from his fire truck, swam to the side of the vehicle and shattered the rear window.
“With that, Officer Petre reached out and grabbed the driver and pulled him out,” Fehan told reporters. “Two of us got him out and brought him to shore.”
At the same news conference, Suffolk County Police Chief Rodney Harrison praised the men for quickly bringing Riosarvealo to safety.
“These officers, the firefighters jumped into the water, went into action, saved someone’s life, and I really want to commend them for a job well done,” he said. “They saved a life.”
Authorities are still investigating how the car fell into the water.
A video of the event can be seen here.
The incident occurred nearly a year ago when a Patchogue woman drove her Subaru Outback into the water near the same location, The Daily Voice reported.
She was eventually rescued by a quick-thinking 17-year-old boy who jumped after her.
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