NEW YORK CITY — When a 7-year-old girl fell from an air conditioning unit in a third story window two weeks ago, Steve St. Bernard was there to make a catch any Yankee outfielder would be proud of.
For that, he was honored with throwing out the Bronx Bombers' first pitch against the Baltimore Orioles Tuesday night.
During a brief ceremony honoring him before the game, St. Bernard, a 10-year veteran MTA bus driver and lifelong Yankees fan, was joined on the field at Yankee Stadium by his family and transportation chairman Joseph J. Lhota.
St. Bernard, 52, was walking home on July 16, when he noticed a peculiar sight at the Coney Island Houses, a public housing complex at 3030 Surf Ave.: a young girl dancing on top of the air conditioning unit.
He immediately ran over to help.
“I just prayed I would get there if she fell," St. Bernard told reporters after the incident. "I was thinking, 'Oh God, don't let me drop her, let me catch her.'"
St. Bernard tore a tendon in his left bicep during the catch, but the young girl was fine.
“It was worth it,” St. Bernard said. “I'm glad she's alive. Not a scratch on her."
