Overview
- A flash flood on Wednesday night sent roughly two inches of rain in under an hour across parts of New York City and left multiple cars partly or fully submerged on the Jackie Robinson Parkway.
- Off-duty FDNY firefighter Travis Langan spotted Carmen Pinto trapped inside her Tesla with water up to the roof, punched through the sunroof with his hands and used a Yeti cup to widen the hole, then pulled her to safety.
- Pinto survived and was reunited with Langan at an event on Friday where Mayor Zohran Mamdani and FDNY Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore publicly thanked him and praised his split‑second action.
- Officials urged simple preparedness for motorists, with the FDNY recommending carrying a tool to break glass or cut seatbelts because vehicle electronics and door mechanisms can fail in rising water.
- Coverage consistently confirms the core rescue details but differs on Pinto’s school affiliation, with outlets identifying her as principal of either P.S. 81 or Thaddeus Stevens Elementary, a discrepancy still unresolved in reports.