Lyndhurst firefighters, EMS rescue Passaic River barge worker struck by boom

EXCLUSIVE: Members of the Lyndhurst Fire Department and Police Emergency Squad teamed up to rescue a barge worker struck by a boom while on a project to remove dioxin-laden mud from the bottom of the Passaic River next to Riverside County Park.

Photo Credit: *Courtesy Lyndhurst Fire Chief Paul Haggerty Jr.*

Jerry DeMarco

01/21/2014 6:44 p.m.

“The initial call was a nosebleed and that they were going to bring him in themselves,” Lyndhurst Fire Chief Paul Haggery Jr. told CLIFFVIEW PILOT a short time after today’s 11:15 a.m. rescue, “but when EMS got there they could see that it was much more serious.”

“There was head trauma. He was barely conscious,” said Haggerty, who is also a township police officer.

He is believed to have had a broken arm and nose, police said.

Members of the Fire Department dive team got the 53-year-old worker into a neck brace and onto a backboard, then moved him onto the dive team boat in a stokes basket.

Once ashore, the emergency squad took over, with support from MONOC paramedics. He was then rushed to UMDNJ in Newark.

“It was such an unfortunate accident,” Haggerty said. The weather conditions didn’t help.”

Still, everyone moved quickly, safely and with purpose, Lyndhurst Police Chief James O’Connor said.

“Sometimes people don’t give credit where credit is due,” the chief told CLIFFVIEW PILOT. “But these firefighters and EMS workers once again did an outstanding job. And this is less than 24 hours after we had a fire yesterday.

“You have to be grateful for who they are and what they do,” O’Connor said.

PHOTOS: Courtesy Lyndhurst Fire Chief Paul Haggerty Jr.

Click here to follow Daily Voice Lyndhurst and receive free news updates.