NYPD officer says Brooklyn Bridge rescue happened on 3rd day with elite unit
Cristian Yepes was on his first week with the NYPD's elite Emergency Service Unit when he helped rescue a woman on the Brooklyn Bridge.
An officer who saved a woman's life on the Brooklyn Bridge last week said the rescue happened on just his third day on the job with the New York Police Department's elite Emergency Service Unit, which takes on some of the most dangerous rescues.
The incident happened on July 8 when a call came in for a person in distress on top of the Brooklyn Bridge, according to the NYPD. After an hour of compassionate negotiation approximately 200 feet above the East River, Officer Cristian Yepes wrapped his arms around the woman and was able to bring her to safety.
"I got you, I promise," Yepes is heard telling the woman on body camera video.
"The care, courage, and compassion these officers showed was just extraordinary," Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a statement on social media .
The rescue was one of three by the same unit within one week.
"This is what I've been training for, this is what I've prepared for," Yepes said in an interview. "And my ultimate goal is to make sure everyone's safe."