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Hackensack Firefighters Rescue Trapped Driver After Pickup Plunges Into River

Rapid coordination under a rising tide drew on specialized water-rescue training to get the victim onto a boat.

Overview

  • The pickup went down an embankment, over a bulkhead, and into the Hackensack River near the Court Street Bridge on Monday night.
  • With the tide coming in, firefighters lowered Mike Rainville and Nicholas Webster into frigid water to reach a 79-year-old driver whose leg was trapped.
  • Rescuers fitted a flotation device and safety lines, moved the driver onto the roof, and transferred him to Marine 1 for extraction.
  • The driver was brought to dry land and turned over to HUMC EMS for hospital evaluation, and officials have not confirmed injuries or his condition.
  • Citizens helped direct first units, a tow crew later removed the vehicle as hazmat and police secured the scene, and the cause has not been determined.