Transcript: Mayor Adams Thanks Lifeguards, EMTS, And NYPD Officers Who Rescued New Yorker From Shark Attack

September 25, 2023

Watch the video here at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBB7t2Ys3Pk

Deputy Mayor Meera Joshi, Operations: Good afternoon, everyone. Thank you for joining us here in the blue room today, and we're here today to recognize something that only happens in New York, which is when something really, really rare, something really, really rapid, something really, really dangerous happens in a place that's not on land and hard to get to, we don't skip a beat. Absolutely not.

In this case, an extremely rare occurrence happened. Someone was bitten by a shark. After 53 years, we had never seen a shark attack; and without batting an eye, New York City's lifeguards, police and EMT jumped into action and saved Tatyana Koltunyuk's life. She couldn't be here with us today, but we're here in her honor, and she represents all of New York in thanking you for your service, your quick thinking and doing what New York always does in its time of need.

So, thank you very much. My name is Meera Joshi, I'm deputy mayor for Operations. I have the honor of overseeing the Parks Department, the beaches and the lifeguards, and we're here joined with our fire department partners and our NYPD partners. I want to turn it over to our Mayor Eric Adams, but first, I'd like to read a quote from Tatyana Koltunyuk, who couldn't be here today.

She says, I will forever be grateful to the police officers and EMTs who saved my life in the aftermath of the attack; and most especially, to Officer Rinaldo. The road to recovery ahead of me is going to be a long one, but I consider myself lucky to have the opportunity to be here and to continue to marvel in life's miracles. I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who supported me and my family during this incredibly challenging time. And with that, I'd like to turn it over to our Mayor Eric Adams.

Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you. Thanks so much. Thanks so much. And I'm not quite sure, so many somber faces but we are celebrating, you know.

You guys did an amazing job, and your family's here to really acknowledge. They don't see every day what you do both in the life of EMT, EMS, a police officer, a firefighter. Oftentimes they may read a tidbit of the story, and many of you like myself and my brother, you don't come home and share all that you see and all that happens. You try to leave it in the locker room or at the fire house or the precinct, because it's overwhelming sometimes.

And I remember being trained as a police officer of putting on a tourniquet. I thought I would never have to use one. And you know, it is a very drastic step when you stop the flow of blood to someone's arm, legs or other parts of the body, and it takes a lot to be able to do it. And I saw those photos, and it was really alarming, and you responded.

It's just, I don't think we fully understand what it is to run towards danger when everyone is running away or everyone is panicking. The level of just steady hand, and you just say it's another day, another night as a responder in delivering a baby or running towards gunshots, climbing up a flight of stairs because there's a fire or someone is having a heart attack.

Over and over again, and when you look back over your career and look at the number of times you had to respond to these cases, and you still continue to do it day after day. That's why we're here, and I'm sure Tatyana and her family ar breathing easier because we have the finest first responders probably across the globe, of you know, my colleagues that came here last week from UNGA, they all debate about number two or number three, but nobody debates about number one.

We are the best of the best, and it's because of what you do every day, and I cannot thank you. When I got that call, I was on the road and I got the call and the photos sent over to me, and they stated that, you know, the team just responded in a very coordinated effort to make sure that you were able to save someone's life.

You know, she is with her family because you did for her, and we cannot over emphasize how much that meant, that you know, we have a New Yorker that is with her family right now because you responded. All of that training kicked in. You didn't wait, you didn't stall. Each one knew what needed to be done, and you coordinated together to get it done.

And we just wanted to pause for a moment and just say thank you. You know, just thank you for doing that, because that could have been my sister, it could have been my family member, it could have been anyone. And knowing that 24 hours, seven days a week our men and women first responders are out there. And we cannot thank you enough.

And so the team is here, the Parks commissioner, our fire commissioner and our first deputy commissioner as well as the deputy mayor of Operations. We've got a lot of women here now, think about...

You know, they're all here because we wanted to do this. We really wanted to say thank you ‑‑ thank you, thank you, thank you. On behalf of all New Yorkers — 8.3 million of them — we want to say thank you. Thank you, Deputy Mayor.

Deputy Mayor Joshi: Thank you. And now we are going to have Commissioner Donoghue who will step up and read the names of all of our lifeguard savers.

Commissioner Sue Donoghue, Department of Parks and Recreation: Exactly. Thank you so much, Deputy Mayor Joshi and Mayor Adams. So pleased to be here, and such a day for a celebration. It gives me great privilege to recognize the names of five lifeguards we have with us today.

First off, Lieutenant Lifeguard Kurt Alexander.

Next, Lifeguard Romeo Ortiz.

Next, Lifeguard William McDonnell.

Lifeguard Nora Schreiber.

And Lifeguard Evan Sheridan.

And now our Commissioner Laura Kavanagh will say the names of our EMT workers who were present and saved the life of Tatyana.

Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh: Thank you so much. It's no surprise you guys went to quick work, but we are ever grateful for you. First of all, EMT Michael Wasilewski.

And EMT Sean McBride.

And our First Deputy Commissioner Kinsella from NYPD, to give us the names of the three police officers who were part of this amazing rescue. Thank you.

First Deputy Commissioner Tania Kinsella, Police Department: Good afternoon, and thank you for everything that you do day in and day out. And we would like to call John Smith, Austin Beck, and Joseph Rinaldo. Thank you.