They pulled this guy out of the water, and he decided he wanted to go back again. On top of that, without a PFD! Some people just have the need to tempt fate, I guess.


July 18, 2008


Eyewitness News
QUEENS (WABC) -- A Manhattan man had to be pulled from the water in Queens twice after he jumped back in following the first rescue.

Authorities say the Coast Guard saved 45-year-old David Cherner after his boat capsized near Breezy Point at Rockaway beach around 7 a.m. Friday.

He was initially rescued by a Good Samaritan, officials said, but he jumped back into the water to retrieve personal items from the boat.

"The man was fishing near an area that has some pretty bad shoals," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Tom Leggett, Station Sandy Hook's officer of the day. "He drifted into the surf line and was flipped by a six-foot wave. He managed to get out from under the boat and stood on the hull where a Good Samaritan picked him up."

Cherner reportedly declined medical assistance.
"He wasn't wearing a lifejacket, and this could have easily taken a turn for the worse," Leggett said. "Lifejackets should be readily accessible for situations like this because they greatly improve your chances of survival."