A New Jersey man bizarrely tried to stab a firefighter with a screwdriver while he was being rescued from rough waters off the coast of Atlantic City on New Year’s Eve, authorities said.
Firefighters rushed to save the man they were told was in distress in the freezing waters off the beach shortly after noon Wednesday, the Atlantic City’s public safety office told BreakingAC.com.
When they arrived, they spotted 31-year-old Christopher Treadway, who appeared conscious as he floated in the frigid water. Still, Treadway wasn’t actively swimming, which prompted rookie firefighter Dominic Gitto to wade through the water in a longboard to reach him, a spokesperson for the office said.
Treadway jolted and floundered in the water as Gitto and another firefighter reached him, apparently startled by their arrival. He flailed and tried to resist — before allegedly lunging at the Gitto with a concealed screwdriver, the spokesperson said.
Gitto handily deflected Treadway’s alleged attack and dragged him over to the rescue crew’s waverunner. A rescue sled was hitched to the waverunner, but Treadway continued to resist, which eventually forced the first responders to form a human chain and haul him into shallow water, according to a video obtained by BreakingAC.com.
Once they were closer to shore, officers with the Atlantic City Police Department and the firefighters yanked him out of the water even as he continued to thrash.
Officials believe that Treadway was in the midst of a psychiatric episode while he was drifting in the water. He was taken into custody on the beach and admitted to a psychiatric inpatient unit for evaluation, the outlet reported.
Gitto, meanwhile, wasn’t out of the woods. Frigid water seeped into his dry suit during the harrowing rescue, and he wound up requiring treatment for acute hypothermia, the outlet reported.
Atlantic City Fire Chief Scott Evans praised Gitto for his “professionalism and personal sacrifice,” especially since he only has “a few months” of experience under his belt.
“Our firefighters are trained to handle hazardous situations, including cold-water rescues, and this incident underscores the importance of that training and teamwork,” he told the outlet.
“Great work by Firefighter Gitto, and all companies involved. A life was definitely saved,” an Atlantic City firehouse added in a Facebook post.
Treadway was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes resisting arrest, resisting arrest, and obstruction.
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