Woman rescued on Bayville beach thanks lifeguards who saved her
BAYVILLE, Long Island (WABC) -- A drowning woman saved by lifeguards on a Long Island beach on the Fourth of July reunited with her rescuers Wednesday.
Anna Zapantis is just happy to be alive, and more than happy to be able to thank those who saved her.
And so the 70-year-old returned to Bayville beach to show her gratitude to her heroes.
It was just before noon that lifeguards at Stehli Beach noticed a person face down in the water not moving and jumped into action.
"I was the first one down, so I went into the water and I got her out," lifeguard Adam Linperis-Kaufman said. "And by the time I got her out, everyone came down and someone called 911. We had someone getting the AED. Everyone was doing their part."
The team effort included CPR on the beach, reviving Zapantis, who was not breathing.
"God bless them," she said. "Without them, I'm not going to be here today. They told me two more minues and I'm gone."
She appeared with the Oyster Bay Town Supevisor Joseph Saladino to recognize those lifeguards for their cool-headed professionalism and for being there when she needed them most.
"We are surrounded by true American heroes," Saladino said.
But for the humble heroes, it's all in a day's work.
"It's great to be recognized," Linperis-Kaufman said. "But in the end, we just did our job."
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