Ladder 16 firefighters Matthew Lopez and Ronnie Corsale pose in front of the gear they used to rescue a man from the East River.

A group of firefighters pulled a man out of the East River on Sunday just before strong currents would have taken him away.
Ladder Co. 16 members responded to the emergency about 5:20 p.m. and noticed a bobbling head in the fast-moving waters off E. 63rd St., said Capt. Thomas Hughes.
Firefighter Ronny Corsale, 25, jumped 15 feet into the choppy water and swam toward midriver, fully extending the 200-foot rope he was tied to.
"The waters were pretty rough," Corsale said Sunday night, standing next to his still-dripping wet suit. "It was only a matter of seconds or we would have missed him."
He grabbed the lethargic victim while his colleagues, using a hook ladder, pulled Corsale and the man to safety.