Three 22-year-old Yeshiva Bochrim are lucky to be alive after they were rescued Friday afternoon after falling through the ice on Jamaica Bay (Bayswater) in Queens, near far Rockaway.

Sources tell YWN that the Bochrim were in the area for Shabbos to celebrate the Auf Ruf of a friend, when they fell through the ice and into the frigid water.

The NYPD, FDNY and Hatzalah quickly launched a large-scale rescue operation. Authorities deployed a helicopter from the NYPD aviation unit along with FDNY scuba teams to pull the men from the water.

Video footage shows each of the victims being removed individually. According to New York Post, the water temperature was reported to be around 36 degrees. One of the men reportedly showed minimal movement after spending nearly 40 minutes in the freezing water.

During the operation, one responder briefly fell into the water but was able to recover and continue assisting in the rescue.

Following the rescue, all three men were transported to area hospitals in stable condition. Two were taken to Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital, while the third was transported to St. John’s Episcopal Hospital. They are all in stable condition.

Sources tell YWN that a fourth Bochur had been walking with them prior to the incident, and there was fears he was underwater, but that later turned out to not be the case.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)