Firefighter Awarded Medal For Heroic East River Rescue
Daniel M. Sullivan was part of a marine rescue team that saved a person stuck in the East River under the Roosevelt Island Bridge on August 13, 2025, earning him the Walter Scott Medal at this year’s FDNY Medal Day.
| 06 Jun 2026 | 08:34
Firefighter Daniel Sullivan braved poor weather, floating debris and strong currents during a nighttime rescue with Marine Co. 6 under the Roosevelt Island Bridge last August. On June 3, he was awarded a medal for his lifesaving efforts that day. (
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Firefighter Daniel M. Sullivan has been given the Walter Scott Medal for his actions during a daring East River water rescue, near the Roosevelt Island Bridge, in August 2025. (
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Not long after 10 p.m. on the rainy late summer of Aug. 13, 2025, firefighter Daniel Sullivan struck out with Marine Company 6 towards the Roosevelt Island Bridge on the William F. Feehan fireboat, in response to a report by land units that a person was struggling in East River under the Roosevelt Island Bridge
On June 3, at a ceremony in City Hall Park, the FDNY awarded awarded the Walter Scott Medal to Sullivan for his heroic rescue of the struggling civilian.
The FDNY said that upon arriving near the southern end of the bridge, the firefighters came across the individual desperately clinging to a pipe conduit, with the current from the rising tide pinning him against wood pilings.
Scott Forget, the pilot of the Feehan, then maneuvered the craft into position. It needed to be a certain distance away to avoid bashing into the person struggling against the current, but at the same time providing Sullivan with a jump-off point.
Directly after the geared-up Sullivan got the order, he dove directly into the water, with the current quickly sweeping him into the piles. He shook it off and grabbed the stranded victim who could no longer stay above the waterline.
After positioning the swimmer between himself and the rescue floatation device, Sullivan managed to push off from the wood pilings and into the river. Forget, the boat pilot, began to back the craft away from the bridge’s stanchion in preparation for boarding.
At this point, the current swept Sullivan and the person he was rescuing under the bow of the boat. Both of them would end up being submerged multiple times, although Sullivan never loosened his grip and kept them together.
After the boat had been steered clear of debris, Marine engineer Kyle Nevin and Marine wiper Dan Flynn helped get the waterlogged Sullivan and the individual he was carrying onboard. After lengthy exposure to the cool water and currents, the rescued swimmer was reportedly in a state of serious physical distress.
The boat then piloted towards the Gracie Mansion ferry terminal, the FDNY said, and rushed the rescued swimmer through multiple railings and two locked gates. After being handed over to paramedics, they were treated for hypothermia and survived.
As the FDNY noted upon awarding the medal to Sullivan, water rescues are considered among the most dangerous and difficult tasks a firefighter may face.
Victims who are near drowning often panic and try to climb on the back of a rescuer forcing him under water. Meanwhile, in the East River on the night of the rescue, loose debris, poor visibility and fast moving currents presented added challenges.
Captain Andrew Brown, the master of ceremonies at the FDNY Awards Day ceremony said that Sullivan, a member of Ladder Company 116 who was detailed to Marine Company 6 on the day of the rescue, demonstrated “courage, skill and determination in an extremely dangerous and rapidly evolving situation.” His actions “were instrumental to saving the life of this victim.”