Autistic Boy Saved from Hudson River but 1 Rescuer is Dead

A Yonkers resident died while attempting to save an autistic 5-year-old who had jumped into the Hudson River during a neighborhood picnic, according to news reports.

It was after the boy was pulled from the river that people noticed Boyce Coleman, one of several who had gone into the river to attempt the rescue, was missing, said News 12 Westchester.

The body of Boyce “Scoop” Coleman, 40, was found by searchers around 8 p.m. yesterday.

Coleman had gone to the picnic area, as had Thema Martin and her son Stephen, for the School Street neighborhood reunion, an annual event.

Martin told News 12 she had asked a friend to watch her son while she went to the bathroom. The child climbed a fence and jumped in the river while she was gone.

Stephen is in stable condition and expected to survive, News 12 reported.

Commenters on the News 12 story called Coleman a hero.