(Gregory P. Mango)
The night Sandy struck, Monica Cheung of Queens called 911 several times to see if police could check on her elderly parents in Coney Island.
A 911 operator who took one of her calls promised he would get help, said Cheung, 43.
But while Cheung was still on the phone, she could hear him prepare to transfer her to an emergency-services dispatcher — who gave the 911 operator an earful.
“We are getting all these water-rescue calls — EMS is not partaking in water rescues! OK?” the dispatcher told the 911 operator. “You handle it at your end . . . Once again, we do not do water rescues.”
The operator put Cheung on hold and then came back on the line, promising to get help for her parents, who cannot walk.
No one ever came to check on her parents, but when she made it out to Coney Island the next day, she was relieved to find both parents alive, although portions of their house were ruined.