Vista Dad Risks Life to Save Toddler in River Rescue

A Vista father will never forget the moment his daughter vanished.

She had fallen 20 feet into the East River in New York City while he and his kids were on a historic boat at South Street Seaport.  One second, David Anderson was checking his camera, the next moment, his 2- year old  daughter was lying face-up in the water. A Frenchman who was never identified was the first in to grab her, but Anderson said it was only "20 seconds" before he was in the river himself to pull his daughter, Bridget, to safety.

"I knew she was alive," Anderson said on the Today Show on Tuesday. "I didn't see injuries -- no blood."

Anderson said that Bridget doesn't know how to swim but she'd been in the water before.

The anonymous Frenchman who was the first to jump in the water  apparently took off in a cab.

"Thank you very much," Anderson said on Tuesday  to the mysterious rescuer. "I'm glad somebody got there before me."

Anderson, who lives in both Vista and Brooklyn, said that his daughter is fine.

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