From Memorial Day weekend to the weekend after Labor Day, our New York City lifeguards make sure we safely enjoy the Atlantic Ocean. Oftentimes, we hear about their actions when helicopters show up, in response to a missing person report that thankfully, usually turns out to be a false alarm, or when they aid in an after-hours drowning incident alongside FDNY. But rarely do we hear about their actions while on duty, unless you’re sitting on the beach witnessing it firsthand. One such rescue involved lifeguards having to bring a victim back to life who recently paid those lifeguards a visit to personally thank them for giving him a second chance.
Every Friday, 74-year-old Randolph Hill of Flushing heads to Beach 32nd Street to swim. On Friday, July 31, he came down to the beach and was enjoying body surfing, when lifeguards suddenly observed him face down in the water on Beach 34th Street. Lifeguard Matthew Smith quickly approached him and followed proper procedure, tapping him on the shoulder and asking, “Sir, are you okay?” There was no response. Smith flipped him over and noticed he was unconscious and had a contusion on his left forehead.
Smith activated an emergency by blowing a case whistle, which sent fellow lifeguards Robert Leonard, Joseph Butler and Dino Tomassetti running to the water to help Smith bring Hill back to the shore.
From there, they performed two rescue breaths to try to clear his airway. They checked his pulse and looked out for signs of breathing. No response. No pulse. The lifeguards began CPR while others quickly ran over equipment like an oxygen tank and backboard from nearby chairs.
After five cycles of CPR, Hill started to show signs of life. He gasped for air, resulting in the lifeguards placing him in the recovery position while administering oxygen. Emergency services had been notified and by the time EMTs arrived, Hill was breathing on his own. He was then transported to St. John’s Hospital, where he stayed overnight before being released the next day.
On Friday, August 14, lifeguards Smith, Butler, Tomassetti, Leonard and their lieutenant Alf Echeverria were happy to see a familiar face. Hill returned to the beach to personally thank them. The lifeguards of 32 Shack shared that Hill was beyond grateful and “felt blessed that we gave him a second chance.”
Hill also told the lifeguards that the incident will not deter him from continuing to go to the beach. “He said he loves the beach and has much respect for the ocean now, more than before,” 32 Shack Lieutenant Alf Echeverría. After all, Hill knows firsthand that he’s in good hands when he goes into the water while lifeguards are on duty.
Lt. Echeverría gave credit to his lifeguards for a job well done. “It was due to my lifeguards’ quick actions and proper training as a team, working together, that we managed to save his life,” he said. “I supervised, with an AED ready in case, but I barely put my hands on him.”
