Borough President Vito Fossella, District Attorney Michael McMahon Honor Heroic Samuel I. Newhouse Ferry Crew

​Borough President Vito Fossella and District Attorney Michael McMahon honored 11 crewmembers of the Samuel I. Newhouse ferryboat for their heroic and quick-thinking actions to rescue a 26-year-old passenger who went overboard on June 8.

“We’re here today to say thank you for saving a life,” said Borough President Fossella during a gathering in his office. “These things can happen at any time. The ferry is a lifeline for thousands of Staten Islanders and it’s a renowned tourist attraction. I always knew that the ferry crews were the best, and you revealed it once again, and you demonstrate that the world knows the Staten Island Ferry crew is the very best. You do it every day of the year and we’re grateful and we appreciate it. So, we thank you.”

Captain Ryan Burtchell was piloting the Newhouse with a mostly junior crew -- who had performed practice drills that morning -- when he was informed that a passenger jumped overboard. The ferry crew had already thrown a life ring into the water to mark the passenger’s location.

The captain radioed the other vessels in the area and coordinated with the Coast Guard and NYPD who pulled the passenger out of the water.

“We stopped the boat and started looking for the passenger in the water and he was actually lying flat on his back,” said Captain Burtchell. “Thank God, they threw the life ring over right away, so we were able to get to the location quickly. The crew was excellent. In these situations, their communication is key. They train hard for moments like this.”

The crew members honored were Captain Ryan Burtchell; Assistant Captain Vinny Pedulla; Mate Joe Esposito; Mate Tim McCann; Mate Perry Iyampilla; Deckhand Yogi Selvarajah; Deckhand Carlos Davis; Deckhand Bill Dunn; Deckhand Sheehan Hettiarachchige; Deckhand Mark Cyparski, and Deckhand Andrew Ehrenfeld.