By Josh Williams & Patrick Hedlund
DNAinfo Staff
MANHATTAN — A woman climbed into the Hudson River Tuesday afternoon at the World Financial Center Ferry Terminal, attracting an FDNY and Port Authority police rescue effort as well as curious onlookers.
The unidentified woman was refused entry on a ferry before climbing down a ladder into the water, a Port Authority spokesperson said. She went in with her clothes on and her bag in tow, got waist deep and then climbed back out.
The FDNY got a call of a woman in the water at 6:27 p.m., setting off a rescue effort that apparently wasn't needed. After her dip, the woman walked off.
“I saw a woman walking towards me with water pouring out of her purse and thought it was weird," said an eyewitness named Jeff who practices freestyle slalom skating in the area and declined to give his last name.
"Then I saw two Port Authority police running after her."
She walked about 30 yards before the police caught up to her, police said.
“Water was dripping from her hand bag like somehting spilled inside it, but I guess she wanted to go for a swim,” Jeff said.
“She just sat down and the cops got her a blanket while waiting for an ambulance.”
The woman was taken to Bellevue Hospital for evaluation.
