‘INCREDIBLY SAD NIGHT’

New York City Firefighter Dies After Falling From Bridge During Rescue

Steven Pollard, 30, plunged over 50 feet from a drawbridge.

A New York City firefighter died Sunday after falling from a drawbridge in Brooklyn during an attempt to rescue two injured motorists who flipped their car and got trapped. Steven Pollard, 30, was a probationary firefighter with Ladder Company 170. He attempted to reach the victims on foot when he fell and plunged 52 feet to the ground below. Pollard was trying to cross a gap in the road—the Mill Basin bridge was recently rebuilt and now features a 3 foot wide space between each side of the highway. “It’s a very sad night here in our city,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio early Monday. “[Pollard] was trying to do such a good and important thing and it’s just really painful to see him as we did in the hospital room.” Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said: “It’s an incredibly sad night for the Pollard family, for the Fire Department family, for our city. One and a half years on the job, Steven Pollard had, just starting out, [ended] his life tonight in the process of helping others.” Pollard came from an FDNY family— his brother, Ray Jr., is a Brooklyn firefighter and the New York Post reports that his dad, Ray, is a retired firefighter.