Two stories about good Samaritans in this week's paper and another heard around the office serve as reminders to heartily thank the lifesavers, first responders, and CPR trainers among us.
In an incident on Friday, two people trained in CPR came to the aid of a man who had collapsed and lost consciousness at a Springs restaurant, twice resuscitating him before emergency medical technicians arrived to transport him to the hospital. He was released that night and said Tuesday that he is doing fine. We share his gratitude for the two men — one a trainer and physical therapist, the other a trained rescue diver — who so quickly and skillfully stepped up to help, as well as for the E.M.T.s who took over when they arrived.
Over the weekend the Hampton Lifeguard Association, a sort of booster organization for all things involving water safety here, honored two members of the community who have similarly stepped up to do the right thing at the right moment. In the case of Tom Field, a CPR and first-aid instructor, we should say the right era. In honoring him for his work, the lifeguard association said he had trained some 100,000 individuals over 40 years. Mr. Field demurred at the number, but there is little doubt that if you look at the number of people he has trained who have then gone on to train others in this lifesaving technique, his impact has been exponential.
Also that night, the H.L.A. recognized Tom Casse, who made a memorable nighttime save at Ditch Plain in Montauk in August 2022. Mr. Casse, a surf instructor and certified lifeguard, was having dinner with friends when they heard distant cries for help in the direction of the ocean. He jumped in the water, clothes on, swam in the direction of the cries, and was able to locate a woman who had been caught in a rip current and safely return her to shore with the help of a friend on a paddleboard.
These stories stand out as extraordinary examples of how people with the right training and the right instincts can save one or many lives and turn potential tragedy into tales of heroism. What is even more heartening is that there are similar acts of heroism happening every day here, in rough surf, in burning buildings, and on the roads. One Star staffer told of a recent incident in which a biking partner had a serious wipeout on the side of Montauk Highway on Napeague. Within seconds people in two vehicles had stopped to help. In one were two off-duty lifeguards, members of East Hampton Volunteer Ocean Rescue, a first-responder agency that steps up in water emergencies all year round. In the other was a trauma nurse and her husband, a cyclist himself. All four attended to the fallen biker with competence, kindness, and a calm reassurance.
Forget summer gridlock and all the other things we might complain about on the South Fork this time of year: That's the stuff our community is made of.
Thank you to the good Samaritans, the lifeguards, the E.M.T.s and police officers, the CPR instructors and volunteer firefighters. And a special thank-you this week to the East Hampton Fire Department, which celebrates its 125th anniversary with a parade on Main Street on Saturday. Let's show up for them to let them know how much we appreciate how they show up for us.