Just two days ago, Canarsie Pier became the site of a search-and-rescue operation for a 25-year-old man who jumped into the water.

The man, Micah Haile, has autism and is nonverbal, according to his mother, Celina Haile.

“I'm still shaken up about it. I'm trying to gather my thoughts and get it together," she says.

Micah lives in a group home, and his mother says she never expected a visit to the pier would lead to such a scary event.

“I did not get a response right away as to what is going on. There were many other things that were said. But then after three minutes, the response was Micah fell into the water,” she explained.

Micah has been living at the Institute for Community Living (ICL) in Canarsie for six months and requires 24-hour care.

“Micah loves water; he started swimming at the age of 5 years old, and I made it very clear that Micah can't be around water unstructured," she says.

How Micah ended up in the water remains unclear.

Witnesses described a chaotic scene during the rescue, with one person stating, “He's a big guy, and he just pushed the guys off of him and jumped in the water.”

In response, the Institute for Community Living issued a statement, explaining, “During a supervised community outing to the pier, one of our newer residents, who loves the water, had gotten free from our care and decided to go for a swim. We are thankful that he is okay and back under our care.”

Celina emphasized the struggles that parents of individuals with special needs face.

“As a parent, I wish that I didn't have to rely on a facility. I wish that I had all the resources that I believe parents, guardians, and caregivers should have for individuals with special needs," she says.

Micah is currently back home with his family, and Celina is actively searching for a new facility to care for him.

She expressed her gratitude for the man who saved her son’s life and hopes for a permanent change in Micah’s living situation.