BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) — A hero FDNY firefighter saved a Queens principal from drowning when torrential rain flooded streets across New York City on Wednesday.
“I thought I was going to drown. I thought I was going to die,” Carmen Pinto said Friday while holding back tears.
FDNY Firefighter Travis Langan saved a Queens principal from her flooded car during a rainstorm in NYC. (Credit: FDNY)
Firefighter Travis Langan was driving home when he saw Pinto’s car submerged in chest-high flood waters near the Jackie Robinson Parkway and Grand Central Parkway in Queens.
The off-duty firefighter sprang into action and punched a hole in the roof of Pinto’s Tesla before pulling her out.
“If it were my family, I hope someone would do the same. I was hoping to God no children were in the back seat,” Langan said.
Pinto and Langan shared a warm embrace when they were happily reunited on Friday. Even though the trauma is still fresh, Pinto and her family thanked the six-year FDNY veteran for his bravery.
“I’m proud Spider-Man is from Queens, but we have a real superhero in town. Thank you, Travis, for saving my life,” Pinto said.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani lauded Langan for his courage and selflessness, calling it ordinary for the FDNY.
“Because of his bravery, Ms. Pinto will sit down to dinner this evening,” the mayor said.
Mira Wassef is an award-winning reporter who has covered news and sports in the NYC area for more than a decade. She joined the PIX11 News digital team in 2022. See more of her work here.
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