Best of 2011: Stories of Heroism

Nassau County residents showed their heroic side time and time again in 2011, saving the lives of many other residents in the process. In no specific order, here are the best examples of heroism that Nassau had to offer this year.

1. Just 11 days into 2011, a West Hempstead man helped save the lives of a neighbor and his 22 dogs after a house fire broke out while the neighbor was asleep.

Around 7 a.m., the man, who was out walking his own dog, saw smoke coming from a window of the home and started banging on the doors and windows to awake the residents.

2. A New York State trooper and several bystanders helped save the life of 34-year-old Queens man on the Southern State Parkway after his car slammed into the Meadowbrook Road bridge near exit 23 and caught on fire.

According to the New York State Police, Trooper W.C. Gray was on scene when he heard screaming from inside the vehicle. Gray then approached the burning vehicle with an emergency blanket and covered the driver with the blanket while a passerby assisted him with a fire extinguisher.

3. In April, a group of East Meadow emergency responders saved the life of an 82-year-old man after he went into cardiac arrest while working out in the gym of the Nassau County Aquatic Center.

Lifeguards from the facility used an external defibrillator and began resuscitation efforts until the East Meadow Fire Department arrived. Once on scene, the rescue crew, led by Lt. Giovanni Bautista, took over and they were able to restart the man's heart and breathing.

4. A dog was rescued by the North Merrick Fire Department back in June after a house fire broke out while the owners were out. The fire was contained in two rooms on the second floor, where the pooch was also trapped.

While firefighters were attempting to knock down the fire, one of them stumbled upon the dog, Henry. The dog was found unconscious, however, it was given oxygen and then taken to a local vet where it was checked out.

5. Three men were rescued from nearly drowning in Long Beach in May. Off-duty lifeguards were the first to enter the water to rescue what was determined to be three victims who were screaming for help, officials said.

All of the victims were pulled from the water within minutes and first aid was provided to them on the shoreline. They were transported to the end of Long Beach Boulevard, where four ambulances were standing by.

The off-duty lifeguards were assisted by Long Beach firefighters and detectives, who were holding a safety line in waist-deep water.

6. Lynbrook Police arrested a robber who struck a local pharmacy two times in three days back in November. However, they might not have even caught him if it weren't for the quick thinking of two nearby storeowners.

Harry Levitt, of Mur-Lees, and Stu Miller, of Miller Hardware, were "instrumental" in helping nab Joseph Chieffo, who robbed Picker Pharmacy on both Saturday and Monday, Lynbrook police said.

Miller just happened to be inside the pharmacy when it happened -- he and Picker owner Kanti Vadsola pointed out Chieffo to Levitt, who was walking down the street at the time. Levitt had heard about Saturday's robbery and quickly ran after the suspect.

The reason Lynbrook police might have not have caught him? Levitt said Chieffo threw out the brown hoodie he was wearing on Merrick Road and ran inside a deli with a white and blue shirt on. Levitt called police immediately to tell them this.

7. Long Beach firefighters and a local veterinarian went to great lengths to rescue a newborn bird that had become entangled in a tree on West Walnut Street in Long Beach back in August.

The bird, a Yellow-crowned Night Heron, a protected species, was hanging upside down attached to a fishing line from a tree on the 400 block of West Walnut Street.

Two volunteer firefighters ascended in a basket and carefully cut away branches to rescue the bird. They then wrapped it in a blanket and brought it down from the tree.

8. A neighbor and two firemen removed a 42-year-old female victim from the second story of a house fire in October. The woman eventually succumbed to her injuries less than a day later, however, the three men risked their own lives to pull the woman from the fire.

Levittown Fire Department members Chris Tuohy and Lionel Roseval were among 24 community firemen presented with Town of Hempstead Firematic Awards at a special Town ceremony on Oct. 20. for their bravery at the scene of the fire.