(James Messerschmidt)
NYPD divers (above) plucked a deranged homeless man from the East River yesterday after he jumped in — to avoid a psychiatric evaluation at Bellevue Hospital, authorities said.
The 29-year-old man bolted from doctors at the hopsital, ran along the FDR Drive, hopped a fence and made a beeline for the heavily guarded United Nations International School yard at around 12:30 p.m., according to sources.
Then, he snatched a bicycle left unchained by a diplomat’s child, pedaled across the property and launched himself into the drink, officials said.
The school’s spokeswoman, Laura James, would not say how many children were inside the building, but classes were not in session, she said.
“He was on our property for maybe a minute, and the police were already chasing him,” James said. “This was most definitely not a breach of our security. He did not go through the front gate.”
Armed NYPD officers are assigned there during the school year, but were not present during yesterday’s wild chase, sources said.