Water Rescue in Garfield

Photo by JAMES WOOD
GARFIELD, NJ - Just after 3:00 P.M. on June 28th, Garfield FD responded to a boat in distress at the top of the Garfield Falls. Apparently there was a construction crew doing work cleaning debris along the falls when the boat had engine problems and was stuck at the top of the falls.
Boats from Garfield and Elmwood Park were called to assist them. When one of those boats also began to have problems, they had to abort the operation. Clifton was then dispatched for a boat, along with Passaic and Wallington.
The Clifton boat reached the construction crew, but their boat went over the falls with three Clifton firemen on board; one of them jumped out and two road the falls down.
The two men were okay and stayed with the boat. FD crews were not able to get to them, so the state police were call to remove them by helicopter.