Holbrook's Own Hero in Times Square

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg honored a Holbrook resident for his actions involving the recent Times Square car bombing incident.

Wayne Rhatigan, 47, an NYPD Mounted Police Officer, was alerted by Lance Ortman, a t-shirt vendor, that an SUV was smoking in the busy New York City location Saturday. Rhatigan helped evacuate the area once he witnessed smoke coming from the Nissan Pathfinder.

"It's all in a day's work," he told a local media outlet. "It hasn't hit me yet."

He told the New York Daily News, "I did a lap around the vehicle. The inside was smoking. I smelled gunpowder and knew it might blow. I thought it might blow any second."

On Sunday, Rhatigan shared a beer with Mayor Bloomberg at the Blue Fin in Manhattan.

Even President Barack Obama sent his regards and gratitude for his service.

While touring the Gulf Coast, President Obama told reporters, "We're going to do what's necessary to protect the American people, to determine who is behind this potentially deadly act, and to see that justice is done."

At a press conference on Sunday, New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said the incident is a, "sober reminder that New York is a target for people who want to come here and do us harm."

He also told reporters that the device, if detonated correctly, would have burst like a fireball and hurt many around the site.