A woman jumped off the Staten Island ferry today and was rescued by the Coast Guard in the Upper Bay of New York Harbor, authorities said.
The unidentified victim, described as in her late 20s or early 30s, was aboard the “Spirit of America” at 3:45 p.m. when she crossed a line on the deck, plugged her nose and jumped, said a spokesman for the Coast Guard.
The Coast Guard’s rescue boats were doing a security escort of the ferry at the time of the fall and scooped the woman out of the water in two minutes.
“She was out of the water almost as fast as she hit the water,” the spokesman, Lt. Cmdr. William Walsh, said.
The woman, who said she was travelling alone and did not have identification on her, was conscious and alert after being fished out.
She was transported to Richmond University Medical Center, officials said.
She did not appear distraught or incoherent and authorities were not immediately certain why she jumped.
“Thankfully my boat crews were at the right place at the right time to save this woman’s life,” said Walsh, commanding officer of Station New York.