posted July 19, 2006 09:36 AM              

Police: woman who said she was swimming to Israel rescued

QUOGUE, N.Y. (AP) -- A woman who told her would-be rescuer that she was swimming to Israel while refusing help was eventually pulled to safety from the Atlantic Ocean by the authorities, police said.

Hilary Bramwill, 30, swam about a mile off the shore of Quogue in eastern Long Island before she was rescued Tuesday evening by an officer from the Suffolk County Marine Bureau, police said.

Residents saw Bramwill swimming in the ocean around 8:30 p.m., police said in a news release. A kayaker, John Cooney, paddled out to help her, but police said Bramwill turned down assistance while repeatedly telling Cooney that she was swimming to Israel.

Police said Bramwill tried to swim away when authorities arrived, and was "speaking incoherently" throughout the episode. A marine bureau officer jumped into the water and rescued her when it became clear that Bramwill was getting tired and in danger of drowning, police said.

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She was taken to Southampton Hospital, where she was treated for mild hypothermia and referred for a psychiatric evaluation. Bramwill remained at the hospital early Wednesday, Suffolk police spokeswoman Officer Dara Caramanico said.