Sergeant Neil Gibbons

Neil Gibbons

Sergeant Neil Gibbons and Patrolman John McGlynn died of injuries they received when the engine on their patrol boat exploded.

Patrolman McGlynn had just finished refueling the boat and had started the engine when this occurred. Fire from the explosion caught Sergeant Gibbons' and Patrolman McGlynn's clothing and set them on fire. The force of the explosion also threw both officers into the river. They were rescued from the water by a third patrolman who was also on the boat but who was only slightly injured in the explosion.

Sergeant Gibbons and Patrolman McGlynn were taken to Bellevue Hospital where they both later died from their injuries.

Sergeant Gibbons was a U.S. Navy veteran of the Spanish-American War and served with the New York City Police Department, assigned to the Marine Division. He was survived by his wife and four children.