Newtown Youth Assists In Water Rescue

By Kendra Bobowick

Twelve-year-old Mario Pizighelli heard a girl’s voice yelling, “Help! Help!” and he soon understood she and a companion were in trouble.

In late July the young man from Newtown was enjoying a day at Seaside Park in Bridgeport with his mother, Fran Pizighelli, cousin Richie Azzarito, 13, of Huntington, and friends when the group realized the yelling was coming from out on the water.

“My cousin and friend and I went to throw a football around and we all heard a little girl screaming for help,” Mario said. “At first, we thought she was kidding.”

The girl and a young man with her were in dire trouble as the tide began to flow in and the two became stranded on a sandbar.

He then saw that his mother also thought something was wrong.

Ms Pizighelli said, “Something that drew me was — they were really far out. I didn’t know if they were playing around, but the boy was going under.”

She said she knew they would have to help as soon as possible. Her son and his cousin jumped into the water.

“They ran straight past me,” she said. “The two heroes.”

Trying to understand what had happened to the boy and girl, who Mario guessed to be about 11 or younger, Ms Pizighelli said, “They were caught on a sandbar and were over their heads when the tide came in and the boy couldn’t swim at all.”

Her son and nephew helped the two keep their heads above water until the lifeguards were able to reach them, she said.

Mario said, “I got to the little girl, and she said to help [the little boy] first.” Ms Pizighelli explained that Richie helped the boy.

“They were clinging to [Richie and Mario] for dear life,” she said. Mario also explained that the boy was especially terrified as the water level rose over his head, and he had inhaled some salt water.

Mario described the scene as it appeared to him from shore.

“I saw the little boy out there just going up and down,” he said. Minutes after they arrived at the children trapped by the tide, lifeguards arrived.

Once the victims were ashore, an ambulance arrived and Mario, his cousin, and mother stepped away from the crowds.

Mario recalls his thoughts at the time as he swam out to the children.

“I was thinking, Don’t mess up,” he said. His thoughts also drifted in a negative direction.

“If we don’t get them out, it would have been a lot of trouble if we got there too late,” Mario said. “The ambulance people said [the boy] could have drowned.”

For their efforts, Mario and Richie received recognition from Bridgeport’s Mayor John Fabrizi, who presented them with plaques earlier this month. The city recognized the boys for “displaying extreme courage and quick thinking…to save the life of another person…”