A Model Rescue: FDNY Calendar Models Rescue Girl At Intrepid Museum
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - A teenager's trip to the Intrepid turned out to be one she will never forget.
She was walking with her father when she started to feel sick. Members of the FDNY who happened to be there came to her rescue.
Ashley Will, 19, doesn't remember much from what started as a walk along the West Side Highway this Sunday.
"I told him I was light headed and I collapsed, and I just woke up in the hospital," said Ashley.
"We were actually on our way to see the Intrepid and my daughter didn't drink enough water and it was hot out. She was feeling faint," said her father Michael Bonano.
The Park West High School student lost her balance, stumbling as they arrived at the ship. But a group of FDNY EMTs in the right place at the right time caught her before she hit the ground.
"I was happy that they came and saved me," Ashley told CBS2's Tara Jakeway.
She and her father live close by in Hell's Kitchen.
"I came back down here to meet them," she said.
When she woke up feeling better Memorial Day, the first order of business was to walk to the water, to hopefully spot them and deliver a message.
"Tell them thank you for saving my life," she said.
And much to their delight, there they were - all of them.
"I was about to cry, and I was happy," Ashley said.
It turns out this specific group of FDNY EMTs are all newly minted models. They were on their way to a calendar signing they've had outside the Intrepid all Memorial Day weekend when they spotted the distressed teen.
"Just then one of the Fire Department girls noticed that she was falling they scooped her up, four of them, and rushed her over to the ambulance," Michael said.
They cared for her at the scene until she was transported to Mount Siani West and treated for exhaustion and dehydration.
"We always watch them on TV and see all the great stuff that they do. But when it's personal, it was really amazing," Michael said.
They all signed a 2020 FDNY calendar for Ashley, writing personal messages like "Pleasure saving you" and "Stay hydrated."
Ashley Will has big plans after high school. She originally wanted to go into hospitality, but after seeing her heroes in action she now plans to become an EMT.