French rescuer of baby Bridget in New York found

April 8, 2010 by Shawn Douglas
Filed under: News

Frenchman Julien Duret, who aided in the rescue of baby Bridget in New York, said that ‘anyone would do the same thing.’

Julien Duret didn’t expect to be called a hero after his rescue of two-year-old Bridget Sheridan from the chilly water of the East River in New York City last Saturday.

Duret, 29, and his girlfriend had come from France to vacation in New York when around 4:40 p.m. on Saturday, April 3, he noticed that something had fallen into the river.

“I went to see what it was,” Duret said. “There was no one around. There was no one on the boat.”

“I approached the water and looked down. I thought it was a doll,” he told the New York Daily News from his home in Lyon, France this week. “Then I realized it wasn’t a doll; it was a baby.”

Duret quickly dived into the water to rescue the girl. “I didn’t think at all,” he said. “It happened very fast.”

Baby Bridget’s father, David Anderson, wasn’t far behind. With his attention on his camera, the toddler had apparently meandered towards the edge of the docked boat the family was on and somehow slipped off a gangplank, tumbling 20 feet into the river’s water.

Anderson quickly tossed things from his pocket and dove in feet-first. There he found Duret holding Bridget above the water. Duret then passed Bridget off to her father, who helped remove her from the water.

In a flurry of activity, Anderson and Bridget were whisked away in an ambulance to Bellevue Hospital while Duret slipped away into a cab shortly afterwards, not getting a chance to speak Anderson. Bridget was treated and released from the hospital after several hours, apparently in good condition.

News of the story spread throughout New York, and as Duret and his girlfriend prepared to return home the following morning, they realized that his act had captivated many of the city’s people.

The Daily News finally caught up with Duret yesterday to talk more with him, but Duret downplayed the incident. “I don’t really think I’m a hero,” he said. “Anyone would do the same thing. I was just happy that I was able to help her, and I am just happy that the family has been reunited.”