'Cadillac' of Rescue Boats To Help Bridge Jumpers Hits the Hudson

A state-of-the-art boat is ready to hit the Hudson River this spring, and it just may save your life.

The Newburgh Fire Department used to have an old, rickety rescue boat that firefighters thought was unsafe. According to Firehouse.com, Newburgh firefighters say the old fishing boat they used to use could only fit one victim in it at a time and didn't even have room to perform CPR. Training Officer Rick Locicero called the old boat "scary" because it had no lights or instrumentation which made it very dangerous to operate at night.

Three years ago, the Newburgh Fire Department replaced the outdated boat with what firefighter Dany Camacho calls the "Cadillac" of rescue boats. The vessel has a water pump that's the same size as the pump found on the company's fire trucks. It also has a spacious deck and cabin with plenty of room to treat victims on board.

The boat hit the water last week for a test run ahead of this year's summer season. The Newburgh Fire Department's boat has already been used to battle fires and rescue stranded boaters, but its true live-saving power comes in attending to bridge jumpers. According to the department, the boat's instrumentation allows them to locate jumpers in the water and get to them "within literally minutes."

The boat will also be used as added security during firework shows over the river and other summer events.

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