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NEW YORK -- Rescue workers had to brave icy waters, strong winds and the pressure of freeing a teenager trapped between the rocks of a jetty Friday evening.
Although they train once a month at Orchard Beach for dangerous situations, firefighters said there is nothing like an actual rescue.
Officials described the conditions as extremely slippery and dangerous on the uneven rocks.
Still the members of Engine 66 and Ladder 61 rushed toward the jetty near Orchard Beach where they received a call of a teen in distress.
“He was facedown wedged with a large rock above him and between two or three rocks on the side," Lt. Mike Bonner said.
Although the 14-year-old was not actually submerged, he was getting wet from the increasing spray of the rising tide.
As some firefighters struggled to reach the teenager, others geared up in wetsuits and jumped into the water to be ready if someone fell off the jetty during the rescue mission.
“He was unresponsive when we first got there,” Lt. Jerry Conlon said. “Then we moved him around and he opened his eyes, but he appeared to be disoriented.”
Firefighters could not confirm reports that the teen suffered a seizure before getting stuck.
In the end, it was a team effort. They were all about to get the boy safely back to dry land by passing him along a human change of rescuers.
“If he had fallen into the water, he could have gotten hypothermia,” Bonner said. “He could have been there all night if no had reported him.”
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