4 days ago
NYPD divers back in water searching for teen who jumped off Staten Island Ferry
Divers continued their search Monday for Brandon Pino, the high school senior who jumped off the Staten Island Ferry over the weekend, police said.
NYPD crews resumed their search for Brandon and for a second teen, a 15-year-old girl feared drowned in the East River under the Roosevelt Bridge after she fell from the rocks about 12:15 p.m. Friday, a police spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, Brandon's desperate family visited an NYPD stationhouse Monday and spoke to a detective there, hoping for updates but receiving none. They have also visited and called local hospitals, hoping the teen might turn up alive there.
The 17-year-old Port Richmond boy left a goodbye note on Instagram before taking the 9:30 a.m. ferry from Staten Island to Manhattan Saturday, his family says.
His eldest sister, Cathleen, 27, says the family is hoping public attention might lead to Brandon's recovery. They're holding out hope he survived because of a radio transmission that 'stated he was seen swimming' after jumping from the boat.
'We are continuing to do our own search by checking all the nearby water borders, Battery Park, Brooklyn Pier, including Governor's Island,' she said. She is hoping the coverage of the search for Brandon also brings more awareness to mental health issues.
Brandon's sister said 'everything seemed normal' in the days leading up to when her brother jumped. 'He was getting ready to go to college. He was going to his graduation practice,' she said.
Brandon, a senior at Gaynor McCown Expeditionary Learning School on Staten Island, lives with his mother and two older sisters. His friends told his family he'd been happy at school in recent days and he was focus on his fitness and cooking healthy food.
' He was a straight-A student,' his sister said. 'He always did his chores at home, always respectful. He would help with our niece and nephews. My sister, she also has two kids, and he would try to spend time with them. And this just came so unexpected to us.'
The morning he jumped, he sent a group of friends increasingly alarming text messages, his sister said.
'In one of those messages he wishes his friends a farewell, telling them to stay true to themselves and that he loves them,' she said. 'And then he sent a picture that he was on the ferry, on the outer part of the ferry, looking towards the water.'
He told his friends that he was going to jump off the boat.
'He did joke about it a few times — laughing, jokingly — so they didn't know if it was serious this time,' Cathleen said. 'But then two minutes after, he leaves his friends on read.'
One of his pals called him four times, but Brandon left his backpack and phone behind when he jumped, his sister said. 'By that time it was already too late,' she said.
For those contemplating suicide, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is reachable 24/7 at (800) 273-8255. They can also call 311 or 911 for help.
New York City also has several resources, including NYC Well — the city's free and confidential hotline — that offers mental or substance-abuse help 24 hours a day over the phone, through its online chat or via text.
With Rocco Parascandola
