By Elmer Ploetz
Buffalo News (New York)
When Brian Murphy saw smoke and the red and orange glow of a pair of flares out over Lake Erie, he knew what it meant.
And the Bennett Beach lifeguard knew what he had to do. Giving his cell phone to another lifeguard to call 911, he plunged the park’s kayak into the lake and paddled toward the flares.
That was July 23, and Murphy battled a 2-foot chop for about a mile to find seven people in the water, with their capsized boat floating away. The youngest, a 6-year-old, was starting to show signs of hypothermia.
“They were all wearing life jackets, but the little girl was really cold and really scared,” said Murphy.
Murphy brought the girl to shore, where she was dried off, warmed up and eventually reunited with her family.
Tuesday night at Bennett Beach, Murphy was honored for his role in the rescue.
He said police told him that the lifeguards’ was the only 911 call received about the flares; Coast Guard and Evans Police boats picked up the other victims — all adults — and brought them to shore.
County Legislator Robert Reynolds, D-Hamburg, conducted the ceremony at the beach to honor Murphy and lifeguards Laura Zailac, 19, and Chris Van Volkenburg, 17, for their roles in the rescue.
“Not only am I proud of these young people’s actions as employees of Erie County, but also as outstanding representatives of the young adults living in our community,” Reynolds said in a statement.
Murphy, 19, is in his fourth year as a lifeguard. The Erie Community College student wants to become an emergency room nurse.
He is also a firefighter and emergency medical technician with the Evans Center Volunteer Fire Company.
Murphy said the only thing he could think about as he paddled against the waves was “Go, go go, no matter how bad it hurts. I couldn’t stop.”
It was the first time in his four years on the beach that he had to take part in a serious rescue, said Murphy, who is also starting work as a union boilermaker.
Murphy said the family was fortunate lifeguards were on duty; guards staff the beach only on Saturdays and Sundays.
“If we hadn’t been there, I don’t know who would have seen the flares,” he said.