CNN’s Chris Cuomo Saves Struggling Swimmer off Coast of Long Island

A man swimming off the coast of Long Island, N.Y., this weekend was lucky that CNN anchor Chris Cuomo was nearby.

The swimmer, said to be in his 60s, got caught in a rip current off Shelter Island, and Cuomo jumped into the water to save him, bringing the man out of a dangerous environment.

Cuomo and his colleagues on CNN’s New Day morning show talked about his heroic act on Tuesday, but Cuomo said he didn’t want to reveal the identity of the swimmer, for fear of embarrassing him.

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Cuomo and his family had their boat anchored off Shelter Island when the man swam by and appeared to be struggling in the fast-moving current, he explained.

“He didn’t judge the current right, and as he came by us, I said, ‘Hey, how you doing?’ He didn’t look right, and he said, ‘I’m not doing well.’ I threw him the life preserver, so I just didn’t think,” said Cuomo. “I just went in and got him. And it was hard for us to swim across, but we eventually did.”

The CNN anchor and brother of New York governor Andrew Cuomo admitted he probably should have radioed for help, but he was worried that help wouldn’t arrive in time.

“I didn’t think the guy was going to make it,” he said. “I hope he’s well.”

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He also advised viewers, “Don’t jump in fast-moving water, and think before you do something like that.”

The New York Post previously reported on the incident, leading Cuomo’s New Day colleagues, Michaela Pereira and Alisyn Camerota, to joke that they were annoyed he didn’t tell them about his big weekend, so they had to read about it in the paper.