CNN Anchor Chris Cuomo saved a man from drowning in the treacherous waters of the Hamptons while boating on Sunday, CNN reported.
The anchor of the morning show "New Day" was on his fishing boat along with his wife and kids near Shelter Island's Sunset Beach when he spotted a man struggling to break away from a strong current that swept him up and jumped in to rescue him, according to TheWrap.
"I threw him the life preserver and it wasn't enough," Cuomo said. "So I didn't think. I just went in and got him."
"Chris saved this man's life," said Frank Cilione, the managing partner of Philippe East Hampton, who had tied his boat to Cuomo's, according to Page Six. "We saw him floating by in what looked like a very strong, fast current, and Chris began yelling at the man to swim out of it at an angle. But the man said he couldn't move his arms, all his energy was spent, and he carried on floating away, his head barely above the water."
"Chris threw him a life preserver, but the man still didn't start swimming, so Chris jumped in the water and went after him," Cilione added. "It was happening too fast to untie the boat and start the engine. At this point, the man was 500 to 600 feet away from us, almost so far that you couldn't see him, but Chris is a strong guy and swam up to him."
Cilione continued, "Once he got to him, the man still couldn't fight the current, so Chris then somehow managed to drag him back to shore, where they could stand in the water. If he hadn't done this, the man would surely have drowned."
A police boat flagged down by frantic eyewitnesses then picked up Cuomo and the man, who has not yet been identified. Shelter Island Police Chief James J. Read confirmed the story, stating that a bay constable "was able to get both [Cuomo and the unnamed man] onboard and transported them [to safety]."
