News: Man Rescues Stepson From LI Sound
(Long Island, N.Y.) A thirty-five-year-old man from Bellport became a hero this weekend when he rescued his ten-year-old stepson from the fierce undertow of the Long Island Sound. In an act of self-sacrifice, the man ensured his stepson’s safety at the expense of his own life. His body was found roughly a day after he disappeared underneath the waters this past Friday evening.
The man’s body was discovered early Saturday morning on a beach in Wading River. Police and authorities on the case claimed that he was found just west of where he was last seen. Investigators have stated that the man was chest-deep in water when he slipped underneath the surface and was taken by the current.
The Riverhead Police Department joined local firefighter volunteers and members of the Suffolk County Police Department in the overnight search for the man’s body. According to reports, the US Coast Guard also aided in the search, which lasted until midnight and began at roughly nine that evening. The boy was rescued near Creek Road in waters that were allegedly known to be calm.
Prior to his rescue, the boy struggled in the water while his mother took photos from the shore and his stepfather fished nearby. Reports stated that the boy’s mother turned to see her son drowning and screamed for help at around eight that night. The heroic stepfather then grabbed a small inflatable pool and jumped into the water to save the boy.
After swimming to the boy with the pool in hand, the stepfather was able to use it as a makeshift flotation device. Reports stated that the pool was hardly capable of supporting the ten-year-old, and witnesses guessed that the stepfather had to let go to keep the boy afloat. Shortly after, neighbors became alerted of the emergency and entered the water in a canoe.
The neighbors claimed that they searched for the stepfather but returned to the shore thirty minutes later. They said that they had rowed around while calling his name without any success in finding him, and claimed that the undertow was unbelievably strong. Reports stated that they also regretted losing sight of the stepfather while they were pulling the boy to safety and attempting to calm him down.
The boy had been playing close to the shore at the time of the incident, and the neighbors claimed that he kept blaming himself for his stepfather’s tragedy. Some reports stated that the tide had shifted suddenly, dragging the boy farther out. It’s uncertain whether the stepfather knew how to swim, and the boy was later hospitalized for exposure.
Police have not released the names of the mother and child in an effort to protect their identities. It’s also uncertain why the family was out by the water so late. Authorities on the case expect to obtain more information pending further investigation.
