Community Corner

Best of 2012: Stories of Heroism

In 2012, residents showed their heroic side time and time again.

Nassau County residents showed their heroic side time and time again in 2012, saving the lives of many other residents in the process. In no specific order, here are the best examples of heroism that Nassau had to offer this year.

  • Garden City Father, Son Save Elderly Man From Burning Home: An 87-year-old man was rescued from a burning Garden City home by a Garden City father and son Monday night during Hurricane Sandy. One of the man's rescuers, 53-year-old off-duty FDNY captain Frank Leto, told Newsday, he was in his Garden City home when he heard a boom. He went to investigate what had happened and saw flames from a Kenwood Road home. After learning that an 87-year-old man was still inside the home, Frank and his son Matthew found an opening and got to the him. Frank pulled the man out and handed him to his son, according to Newsday.
  • Long Beach Surfing Instructor Rescues RVC Teens: Cliff Skudin, a co-operator of the surfing school Skudin Surf, along with an unidentified good Samaritan, rescued three Rockville Centre teens from drowning near a jetty off Long Beach Boulevard Beach back in May. At the time, Skudin was giving a private surfing lesson and walking along the beach toward Monroe Boulevard when he heard the trio, who were about 50 to 100 yards out in the ocean, yell for help.
  • Infant Saved by Fire Department Volunteers: Back in May, units from the Lawrence-Cedarhurst Fire Department were summoned to Maple Avenue in Cedarhurst for a child not breathing. The infant was lifeless upon arrival, however, was successfully revived through a true team effort of first responders. Once stabilized, the infant was transferred to LIJ Children's Hospital for further care.
  • Bellmore Firefighter Honored for Saving Life During Blaze: John Curley, of the Bellmore Fire Department, risked his own life days after Hurricane Sandy to rescue a 93-year-old woman from the second story of a Shore Road home that had caught on fire. Curley climbed up the jury-rigged ladder and, after breaking the window of the mother’s room with his bare hands, plunged head-long into the burning home. Moments later, he emerged, carrying the woman out with him.
  • State Troopers Save Merrick Man's Life: Two New York State Police officers saved the life of a Merrick man after he collapsed on the Wantagh Parkway Bike Path back in August. Trooper Thomas Wallace responded applied his Automated External Defibrillator (AED) device to the victim, Martin Gottlieb, 60, of Merrick, who was not breathing, police said. With the assistance of Trooper David Augugliaro, who was performing CPR, Gottlieb regained his pulse and was transported to Nassau University Medical Center.
  • Lynbrook Firefighters Honored for Saving Toddler: When an 18-month-old toddler had trouble breathing while visiting his grandmother's house in Lynbrook last spring, Lynbrook Fire Chief Anthony DeCarlo and Firefighter Josh Parsons came to the rescue. When the incident happened on April 11, the firemen were the first on the scene and transported the toddler to South Nassau Community Hospital in DeCarlo’s vehicle.
  • Lynbrook Firefighters Save Home, Dog from Blaze: Lynbrook firefighters rescue a dog was hiding inside a home that caught fire shortly after power was restored to the block following Hurricane Sandy.
  • Lifeguards Save Boy's Life at Veterans Memorial Park: An 8-year-old boy was rescued after he stopped breathing in the deep end of the pool at Veterans Memorial Park back in July, according to ABC News. Lifeguard Christina Marie saw the boy floating in the deep end and dove in to get him. After pulling the boy out, Marie and lifeguard Stephen Foran worked on resuscitation efforts that ended up being successful.
Story by Matthew Hogan


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