Good Samaritans spring into action, pluck 3 from Hudson after Peekskill jet ski accident

PEEKSKILLL (WABC) -- A pair of Good Samaritans are being hailed as heroes after they sprung into action followed a jet ski accident in Peekskill over the weekend.

Brian Calabro and John Ricci hopped in a boat and pulled a trio of men from the water.

"You got no business being on the water when the water is 50 degrees," Ricci said.

And that's the lesson hopefully learned at the Peekskill Yacht Club after the three victims on one jet ski ended up in the Hudson River around 5 p.m. Sunday. They immediately called for help.

"We looked, and we see this jet ski sinking with a person on it," Ricci said. "So we ran over to the club and grabbed our work boat and shot out there. And we thought there was two, and then there (were) three people."

Ricci and his friend Brian Calabro, who just happened to be in the nearby shipyard, quickly noticed the men were not prepared for a night on the water.

"They were in jeans and sweatshirts with life jackets," Calabro said. "You know, after a while, that's not the best attire to have being in the water."

Drowning wasn't so much the concern because of the life jackets, but the water temperature was a bone-chilling 51 degrees.

"The one older gentleman there, he was really cold," Ricci said. "That's why I gave him my sweatshirt and tried to warm him up a little bit as we were heading back."

The two Good Samaritans and fellow boaters don't consider themselves heroes, but they are glad they were in a position to lend a helping hand.

"It's just something that I hope someone would do for me if I was in that situation," Calabro said. "God forbid something happens to you out there, you want someone to hopefully be there for you."