The Cornwall-on-Hudson Board of Trustees recently recognized Shawn Hansen with a proclamation, and the village fire department and Cornwall EMS awarded him a certificate following his heroic and unselfish efforts to rescue three distressed individuals from the Hudson River.

Hansen, a Cornwall resident, was enjoying a stroll, with his wife, Vivian, at Donahue Memorial Park on the evening of Aug. 10, when he heard cries for help. The 20-year veteran of the New York Police Department, who retired three years ago, burst into action and ran over to the boat ramp and dock.

There he saw three people in the water. A call was placed to 911 and without hesitation, Hansen jumped into the choppy water and brought a young child onto the dock. He went back into the river and assisted a 20-year-old male back to safety. Finally, diving back into the murky water for a third time, Hansen rescued a female who was unresponsive and fully submerged about two feet under.

“I pulled her up to the surface where she then fought against me in a panic, “Hansen said. “I was able to gain control and got her back, 20 feet to the dock, against the current. I lifted her on the dock and began clearing huge amounts of water from her airway and stomach.”

The three rescues took about two minutes and just about the time Hansen had pulled the woman out of the water, the Cornwall-on-Hudson Fire Department and Cornwall EMS responded.

Captain Tom Trainor said fire department volunteers were advised that a Medivac was being placed on standby; this is only done when a patient could need rapid transportation to a high level of care facility.

“Hansen provided critical information to our EMTs who began treating the victim,” Trainor said. “Without Mr. Hansen’s swift action and bravery, the outcome of this incident would’ve been a somber one.”

Hansen later learned neither the child nor the woman could swim. The woman stated the child had fallen into the water and she jumped in to get him. The 20-year-old jumped in after them but was nearly drowned by the panicked woman.

To put the incident into perspective, Mayor James Gagliano noted nearly a month later, a 48-year-old Long Island hero drowned while saving a woman and 10-year-old son while on family vacation in Bermuda.

“If you don’t think this is a big deal,” Gagliano said, “it’s a big deal.”

Following the accolades from the board, Trainor was joined by fire Chief Charles Quinn and Cornwall EMS assistant chief Shannon Cohn in honoring Hansen’s efforts. Trainor said the department has a medals program to recognize volunteers and civilians. Hansen was the first to receive the Civilian Lifesaver Award. Hansen also received a certificate signed by Quinn, Cohn, and Police Chief Steven Dixon.