Capt. James Coan, head of the NYPD's aviation unit, neared the end of his shift Sunday at midnight, when a call came in that two West Point cadets were stranded, reports the New York Daily News.
Coan stayed to direct his unit's fast response, deploying a helicopter and crew upstate to an Orange County cliff side, where Officer Steve Browning hovered his craft in 30 mph gusts, while the crew hoisted the cadets to safety.