Man Out to See Sunrise Drifts Miles Away on Plywood

A tourist from London up at dawn to watch the sunrise on an 8-foot-long piece of plywood in a marina was swept out by the Hudson River current and wound up about 2 nautical miles away, near Governors Island.

Armaan Munglani, 19, was sent drifting into the river Thursday morning. He told WABC that he went out to the dock in Jersey City to watch the sun come up. He was rescued unharmed about a quarter-mile from Governors Island, a 172-acre island in the heart of the harbor close to lower Manhattan and Brooklyn.

“I was going nuts at the moment,” he said, adding that he couldn’t call for help since his phone got wet. And then his wallet fell into the water.

“I started having flashes about my life,” he said. “It was depressing, but there was nothing I could do but sit on the raft… I was just hoping that I did not get trampled by one of them big cruises.”

Munglani was so happy to see the rescue team that he hugged members of Marine Unit 1 after he was pulled onboard.

“I owe them my life, I guess,” he said. “The greatest guys I’ve ever met.”

This article appeared in print on page 6 of the June 15th, 2016 edition of Hamodia.