'I Was Ready To Jump In The Water': 2 LI Boaters Help Search After Bridge Scaffolding Collapse

LONG BEACH, NY — Two Long Island residents jumped into action after hearing a call on the radio, leading them to the scene of the Loop Parkway Bridge scaffolding collapse in Long Beach that took the life of one construction worker, with another still missing.

The two men said they were at the right place at the right time to help one worker who had become stranded on the bridge's stanchion – but they wish they could've done more.

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Captain Peter Galbraith of Hauppauge and owner of Pro Tow, a private commercial tow company, was on the water with Joe Lilli of West Hempstead earlier Wednesday morning. They had passed through the area of the tragic scaffolding incident just a few minutes earlier, as they headed from Lido Beach to the Hudson Canal in Freeport to fuel Galbraith's tow boat. On their way back, they knew something was wrong.

The boaters spent hours on Wednesday afternoon, starting at noon, searching for the remaining missing construction worker, whom New York State Police have identified as 38-year-old Diogo De Oliveira, of Elizabeth, New Jersey.

According to state police, construction workers were performing work on the Loop Parkway Bridge, also known as Long Creek Bridge, when the scaffolding collapsed at about 11:50 a.m. Two workers fell into the water, including 39-year-old Kleiton De Madeiros of Montclair, New Jersey, who succumbed to his injuries after he was transported to a local hospital, state police said. Six other workers suffered non-life-threatening injuries, state police said.

Galbraith said he heard who he believes was the bridge operator and U.S. Coast Guard on his VHF radio. He looked around, spotting an ambulance stopping on the bridge, and that's when he knew.

"I put the hammer down and raced over," Galbraith said, adding that as they arrived, so did the Nassau County Police Department.

Multiple emergency personnel were already on scene, including the New York Police Department, both on the bridge and below on a floating barge.

At first, they saw the canvas hanging below the bridge, and Galbraith thought it could have potentially been a sailboat that hit the bridge. It was worse than they thought.

As Galbraith and Lilli approached the bridge from the south around 12:05 p.m., about 15 minutes after the first report of the collapse, they said they never could have imagined the scene in front of them.

"I never expected to see what we saw," Lilli said.

Along with the dozens of emergency first responders, there were also workers stranded, and three people on the floating scaffolding, Galbraith said.

"Guys were standing on the overturned scaffolding, frantic," Galbraith said, adding that it appeared they were searching for something – someone – in the water.

Police were on a barge, a helicopter was swarming above, ambulances were on the bridge, people stranded.

The two men took in their surroundings and wanted to help however they could. Divers hadn't arrived yet, and they realized first responders were looking into the water, which had a strong current at the time.

"I was ready to jump in the water," Galbraith said. "I emptied my pockets. I was ready."

They didn't see any other civilian boats, so Lilli said they did what any boater would do in that scenario.

"On the water, you always offer assistance," Lilli said.

As they calculated the timing, they realized it had already been more than ten minutes since the collapse. The men said there was a strong, outgoing tide on the south side of the bridge. As he steered the boat, he tried remaining out of the way to allow emergency personnel to help, until they were waved into action by police on the barge.

With a line tied from the barge to their line, two emergency service men boarded the Pro Tow and made their way to the stranded man who was sitting on the stanchion.

He was barefoot, with bloodied feet.

"The guy looked like he was shivering and in shock," Galbraith said. "Terrified."

After the man was brought to safety, Galbraith drove around with two emergency personnel aboard in search of a missing man.

"We were still hoping he's alive at this point," he said. "We found a life ring with nobody attached, unfortunately."

After about 30 minutes, they dropped the emergency personnel off at Point Lookout, but Galbraith and Lilli didn't want to give up.

They headed a bit further out into the inlet, slowly looking around. Lilli kept his eyes on the water, searching, as Galbraith drove.

"We found debris, a glove, spray foam cans, pieces of plywood," he said.

Although he shared the coordinates with the U.S. Coast Guard and handed the recovered items to the Bay Constable, he said it was heartbreaking not to find the missing worker.

"It was just me and Joe out there on our own circling for two hours," he said, adding that he didn't see anyone out there, aside from some fishermen.

Both Galbraith and Lilli said they hoped sharing the coordinates, which were southwest of the inlet off Point Lookout, would help first responders locate the missing worker. "That was the hope."

"Even if we could find a body, it would help the family," Lilli said, sharing what he and Galbraith thought during those moments.

Circle after circle, the men had to call it.

"I didn't want to stop, but at some point..." Galbraith said, his voice trailing off.

Both men said that as boaters – as people – it is ingrained in them to help others in need.

"I blame my mom," Galbraith said. "She made me this way. It's my nature to help others. I don't know any other way."

On the side of his boat is a large Captain America shield – Captain Pro Tow.

"Hold my cape," he said with a chuckle. "I'm on my way. If somebody's stranded, I'm helping them."

He started his towing company about three years ago. Even when he was younger, at 22 years old, he wanted to help people and became the fire commissioner of Meadowmere Park.

On Sept. 11, 2001, when many people were taken by train away from the city, he headed towards it.

"I just got on the train and into the city to help," he said. "But there was no one to help."

Galbraith said he will never give up trying to help others, and said he wouldn't have hesitated to jump in during Wednesday's tragic incident.

"I wish we were able to help more," Galbraith said.