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Babylon Village honors local heroes
Michael Hakans, 22, and Conor Fitzgerald 19, witnessed the accident as they were on their posts as Village lifeguards. Two boats collided in the Great South Bay, about 30 yards off the Babylon Village Beach. One boat erupted into flames. The operator of the other boat was ejected, while his boat continued to move dangerously in circles around him. "I was working at the kiddy pool and heard the accident," recalled Hakans. "I ran to the edge of the deck to see what was happening. I could not see anyone in the water, but I knew things were serious." As the police and fire department were called, Hakans and Fitzgerald and a group of bystanders continued to look out over the horizon to see if anyone was struggling in the water. All the time, the boat continued to circle aimlessly. Finally, the two youths decided it was time to take action. "At that point, we decided we had to do something," said Fitzgerald. "So we jumped in and swam out there." Once in the water, the two young men saw one victim struggling ahead of them. "We saw his head popping up and were able to get to him and bring him back," said Hakans. "We looked to see if we could see anyone else, but there was no one else in the water." The operator of the boat that erupted in flames, perished, but the actions of Hakans and Fitzgerald helped save a life, said Babylon Village Mayor Ralph Scordino at the awards ceremony in the boys' honor. Hakans is the son of Barbara and Bill Hakans of Babylon and attends Rochester Institute of Technology. He is studying biomedical photography communications. Fitzgerald is the son of Kathy and Robert Fitzgerald of Babylon. He attends Merrimack College in Boston where he plays football. "It was pure reaction," said Fitzgerald of his decision to risk his own life that day in June of 2006. "Something happened out there and everyone was in shock and just standing around. We tried to do what we could." "It was instinct," said Hakans. "You do what you have to do and don't think about it until later." Later, Hakans ended his shift at the beach and went home. "The first thing he said to me was 'I am okay," said his mother. "I was shocked when he told me what happened. We know he is a takecharge person- he's an Eagle Scout- but we are proud that he went that extra mile to help someone."
"We are honored to recognize these young people for what they did," said Village Trustee Anthony Davida. "They are a tribute to their families and to the Village of Babylon."
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