It was a scary moment for a family spending the day at South Street Seaport. A two year old toddler fell off the boarding ramp of one of the tall ships and her dad and a tourist sprang into action.
A desperate dad jumped into the East River save his 2-year-old daughter after she fell 20 feet from a boat at South Street Seaport.
The little girl, Bridgette, somehow slipped off a gangplank around 4:40 p.m. Saturday. Witness Eric Stringer said the girl's father, identified as California resident David Anderson, was in the water after her in seconds. He dove into the water and came up holding her.
An onlooker jumped in to help the dad get back to the pier, and other people in the crowd offered assistance as well.
The child was taken to a hospital, where she was treated and released.
"He jumped in like a scene out of a movie," Eric Stringer told the Daily News. "He was pulling things out of his pockets as he was running down the steps. He didn't hesitate."
A tourist from France jumped into the water to help drag the father and daughter to safety, police said.
Bridgette's hero dad has declined requests to speak about the terrifying incident.
