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The crash happened in Putnam County on Monday, Jan. 1 just before 10:30 p.m., when a car traveling west on Haviland Hollow Road in Patterson failed to navigate a curve in the road and hit a telephone pole before landing in a swamp, according to the Patterson Fire Department.
Arriving crews found the driver stuck in the mangled car, which was surrounded by water. To rescue them, Firefighter Albert Rossi made use of a ladder to bridge the gap over the water while Lieutenant Jesse Greco put on an ice rescue suit and entered the cold swamp to reach the car.
The rescue was made more complicated by the downed telephone pole and live power line that partially blocked access to the swamp and made access to Haviland Hollow Road difficult, according to the department.
Eventually, the driver was successfully removed from the car and no other passengers were found inside. The extent of their injuries was not revealed by the department.
Crews from NYSEG later arrived to disconnect the live wires, remove them from the road, and repair the downed pole.
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