Officer, firefighter rescue man who drove car off dock into water in Patchogue
PATCHOGUE, Suffolk County (WABC) -- A Suffolk County police officer and a Patchogue firefighter rescued a man who drove into Patchogue Bay early Thursday.
The driver, Nestor Riosarvealo, 35, careened into the water off Mascot Dock, at the end of South Ocean Avenue, just before 5 a.m.
A witness spotted the incident and called 911.
Fifth precinct Police Officer Edward Pitre, along with Patchogue Fire Department Member Peter Feehan, dove into the water, broke the 2017 Nissan sedan's windows and pulled Riosarvealo from the vehicle.
"All I saw was an individual who needed help," Feehan said.
Pitre has been on the job for two years and jumped in first.
"I didn't really notice him doing anything other than just that, was panicking at the time, he wanted to get a way out of there and I was trying to provide that to him," Pitre said.
Surveillance video showed the victim circling his white Nissan sedan in the parking lot before taking a nosedive.
NewsCopter 7 was overhead and captured the vehicle rear-end up and floating in the water.
Riosarvealo, Officer Pitre, and Firefighter Feehan were taken to Long Island Community Hospital in Patchogue where they were all treated for minor injuries and released.
Ironically, one year ago to the date, a 17-year-old Patchogue high school student plunged her dad's SUV into the water from the opposite side of the dock. A Marine jumped in to save her.
Eyewitness News asked Patchogue Mayor Paul Pontieri if the village should put up barriers.
"Putting up barriers or fencing, I don't think that's going to stop people from doing what they shouldn't be doing," Pontieri said.
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