Lifeguard 50 years later: Woman tracks down her life saver from 1964, Way back in 1964, Eady Rothstein was just a five-year-old girl hanging out on Lido Beach in Long Island, New York, with her family. It was then that she fell into the water and almost drowned, but she was saved by 21-year-old lifeguard Larry Brickman. She has never forgotten that day, and NBC 4 New York reported on Thursday, April 11, 2013, that she had tracked down her savior lifeguard 50 years later.
"I can picture being underwater, screaming," recalled Rothstein.
As she was in thew water drowning, she thought things were over, but a young lifeguard came to her rescue. He jumped in and gave her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation for several minutes. He didn't stop though, and she regained consciousness and he had saved her life.
"I've always said I wanted to thank him, and I should do it," said Rothstein.
That lifeguard was named Larry Brickman, and he now lives in Florida. Back then, he was a medical student living in Long Beach and just working on the beach for the summer to help pay for school. he knew CPR, and that was rare for lifeguards back in the sixties.
"If no one was there to do this, I'm afraid she would have succumbed," Brickman said from his Boca Raton office Wednesday.
Up until recently, the only time that Rothstein and Brickman had met was that fateful day back in 1964. Not long ago, Rothstein came across an article in a scrapbook that told of that day so long ago. She got on Google and was able to track down her lifeguard 50 years later.
"I got his phone number. I got his answering machine, and I left a message," said Rothstein.
That message turned into a returned call from Brickman.
"My final words to her when I hung up that day, after I called her back, were, 'You know, I guess we just got very lucky, you and I both,'" said Brickman.
Rothstein said that after the trauma, her father was insistent that she get back in the water with some swimming lessons. Now in present day time, she swims laps regularly in the pool each summer.
brickman and Rothstein are talking on the phone, but they have an in-person reunion in the works.
"I owe my life, and it's a very nice feeling to finally be able to say, 'Thank you,'" said Rothstein.
"I can picture being underwater, screaming," recalled Rothstein.
As she was in thew water drowning, she thought things were over, but a young lifeguard came to her rescue. He jumped in and gave her mouth-to-mouth resuscitation for several minutes. He didn't stop though, and she regained consciousness and he had saved her life.
"I've always said I wanted to thank him, and I should do it," said Rothstein.
That lifeguard was named Larry Brickman, and he now lives in Florida. Back then, he was a medical student living in Long Beach and just working on the beach for the summer to help pay for school. he knew CPR, and that was rare for lifeguards back in the sixties.
"If no one was there to do this, I'm afraid she would have succumbed," Brickman said from his Boca Raton office Wednesday.
Up until recently, the only time that Rothstein and Brickman had met was that fateful day back in 1964. Not long ago, Rothstein came across an article in a scrapbook that told of that day so long ago. She got on Google and was able to track down her lifeguard 50 years later.
"I got his phone number. I got his answering machine, and I left a message," said Rothstein.
That message turned into a returned call from Brickman.
"My final words to her when I hung up that day, after I called her back, were, 'You know, I guess we just got very lucky, you and I both,'" said Brickman.
Rothstein said that after the trauma, her father was insistent that she get back in the water with some swimming lessons. Now in present day time, she swims laps regularly in the pool each summer.
brickman and Rothstein are talking on the phone, but they have an in-person reunion in the works.
"I owe my life, and it's a very nice feeling to finally be able to say, 'Thank you,'" said Rothstein.
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