Anthony Capuano, an instructor at British Swim School, said he noticed a commotion near the water in Bayonne on Tuesday and rushed over. He saw the driver of a car calling out as the vehicle was sinking into the water. It was a moment of pure panic, but Capuano didn’t hesitate. He jumped the fence, took off his leg, and dove in after the SUV.
Capuano could be seen within seconds, making it all the way to the sinking vehicle. The driver, Joseph Kadian, told Capuano he didn’t know how to swim. Capuano told him he was a lifeguard and that he would help him float to safety.
“He was like ‘I can’t’ and I was like ‘oh no’ and then I just, I grabbed him,” he said. “He was panicking a little bit and his body was a little locked up.”
The trained swimmer managed to pull the driver out and back to shore as others stood by waiting to help and the SUV became submerged underwater. Despite all of the odds against him
Bystanders called Capuano and the other good Samaritan heroes. A hero Robert Staph, Capuano’s boss at the British Swim School, is proud of.
“The fact that one of our instructors did what we preach and what we stand for on a daily basis in such a heroic manner, it’s unbelievable. I’m so proud of him,” Staph said.
The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office says Capuano had pulled over to answer a call, hit both the accelerator and brake, lost control of the vehicle and ended up in the water.
Capuano, who is 29, has not let the loss of his leg slow him down as he is not only a trained lifeguard, but teaches swimming at the British Swim School. He told CBS 2, “To my fellow amputees out there, I would just say don’t let anything stop you.”
Source: CBS NEWS NY