On
March 19, 2003 a despondent 47 year old man waded into the waters at the brink
of the falls in an attempt to end his life and became caught up on the rocks.
Capt. Kevin Caffery and Officer Arthur Litzinger of the Erie County
Sheriff's Office responded in the rescue helicopter while Sgt. Pat Moriarty
of the State Park Police and Niagara Falls firefighter Gary Carellla waded
into the icy waters in an attempt to reach the man. Capt. Caffery attempted
to steady the helicopter against strong winds and blinding mist while Litzinger
literally leaned over the side of the helicopter in an attempt to get a line
in place. The first two helicopter attempts were thwarted by the wildly
unpredictable updrafts from the falls and the helicopter had to pull away
threatening to flip the helicopter at any moment. Moriarty and Carella
were making their own attempts to reach the man fighting against the numbing
water, slabs of ice and rushing currents. Moriarty made several attempts
to throw the man a life ring only to have the wind whip it away. As
the helicopter returned Moriarty and Carella kept a constant banter going
with the man who was rapidly giving up hope. The man in the water was
yelling "don't leave me" and Caffery responded with "we're coming back for
you" the helicopter was again forced away. As a final attempt was being made
to lower a life ring to the man he was dragged under by the current. The
rescuers looked away in horror believing the man had been swept over the falls.
Moments later the desperate man was crawling back over the edge of the falls.
Realizing they were out of time Caffery and Litzinger took a one in
a million shot and dropped the life ring in hopes that it would float within
reach of the man. It worked and the man grabbed the ring only to be
pulled under an ice ledge. Moriarty seeing what happened dove toward
the man and began chopping at the ice with frozen fists until he was able
to grab the man's hand. Gary Carella realized that Moriarty needed help
and dove into the water swimming under the ice ledge to grab the mans coat.
As Carella surfaced he was wrapped around the man and held onto him
as the rescuers pulled the two of them to safety. If not for the heroic efforts
of these four individuals the man surely would have died.
The 100 Club of Buffalo & Western New York
recognizes Capt Kevin Caffery, Officer Arthur Litzinger, Sgt. Patrick Moriarty
and Firefighter Gary Carella for their heroic actions of March 19, 2003.
