Lifeguards honored for saving man
Politicians recognize group who saved a swimmer at Orchard Beach
BY JASON COHEN
Lifeguards who rescued who
man who suffered a heart
attack while swimming
in the ocean last month
were honored Monday by
elected offi cials.
On July 29, lifeguards Julio
Benjamin, Troy Washington,
Andres Rodriguez,
Arlene Suzana and Andriy
Kapys rescued 33-year-old
Joachin Rosado, who collapsed
in knee-deep water.
Chief Lifeguard Elvin Calderin
and Chief Lifeguard
Jorge Mino also assisted in
the rescue.
“We saw him wade out and
suddenly he collapsed face
down into the water,” said
Lifeguard Supervisor Neil
Veloz. “When we reached him
and pulled him out, he had no
pulse and wasn’t breathing.”
Kapys and Suzana pulled
Rosado from the water. Immediately
Benjamin and Washington
began CPR to resuscitate
him. But when they used
the defi brillator, “he had no
shockable heart rhythm,”
Veloz said.
Lifeguards began a cycle
of cardio-pulmonary resuscitation
and used a bag valve
mask (BVM) to pump air into
Rosado’s lungs. Soon they saw
signs of life return even as
the victim lay on a backboard
semi-unconscious.
“I always check on our
rescues,” Veloz said. “I
was relieved when the doctors
said he was going to
make it and has no apparent
permanent damage.”
Councilman Mark Gjonaj,
Senator Jamaal Bailey and
Deputy Borough President
Marricka Scott-McFadden
presented the lifeguards
with citations for their
heroic actions.
“The men and women behind
us are unsung heroes,”
Gjonaj said. “When we think
of fi rst responders we often
think of EMS, fi re and
police, seldom do we think
of fi rst responders as life
guards. Today we recognize
this group and recognize all
the lifeguards.”
Councilman Mark Gjonaj, Senator Jamaal Bailey and Deputy Borough President Marricka Scott-McFadden presented
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,20 AUGUST 21-27, 2020 BTR
the lifeguards with citations for their heroic actions. Photo by Jason Cohen