Two city firefighters braved the freezing waters and strong currents of the East River yesterday to rescue a suicidal man and two good Samaritans who had dived in after him — only to learn the jumper later died anyway, authorities said.
After an FDNY boat pulled the five men aboard at 3:20 p.m. off East 10th Street, the firefighters, Patrick Higgins and Frank Campagna, both 34, and the civilians were treated for hypothermia, officials said.
Campagna, who has been with Ladder 11 since 2001, said the freezing waters made it a more challenging rescue.
“But you see the people there and you’ve got to keep going.
“Those two good Samaritans should definitely get a lot of credit.
“They just jumped over the wall without thinking to save somebody, it’s just amazing,” he said.
The man bent on killing himself died at Beth Israel Hospital.
Police said he left a suicide note.