Life-saver to be honored at NY Islanders game
Michael Liegey, the Southold lifeguard who saved a young boy from drowning in a Greenport pool this summer, will be honored as a “Hometown Hero” by the New York Islanders at the hockey team’s Oct. 29 game against the New York Rangers.
“We heard about Michael’s story in the local news and thought he would be the perfect ‘Hometown Hero’ to kick off the season,” said Christopher Lombardo, director of partnership sales for the Islanders.
Mr. Liegey, 20, will be presented with an award from TD Bank during a timeout, Mr. Lombardo said. TD Bank partners with the Islanders for “Hometown Heroes,” an initiative that provides recognition to local people who have gone above and beyond in their community, according to the Islanders website. A different hero is honored at individual games throughout the season.
“It came as a big surprise,” Mr. Liegey said of the honor. “To be recognized by a team I grew up following at a venue like [Nassau] Coliseum is really an honor. It’s hard to express how grateful I am for all the love and support I’ve received over the past month.”
In August, Mr. Liegey was on duty at the pool at Cliffside Resorts condominiums when a 6-year-old boy began drowning while playing with his parents in the shallow end of the pool. Mr. Liegey immediately performed two rounds of CPR on the unconscious boy, who regained consciousness before emergency responders arrived.
A graduate of Southold High School, Mr. Liegey has been a lifeguard for three years, working two years for the Town of Southold and at Cliffside this past summer. While he has performed rescues in the past, this summer was the first time he has performed CPR on an unconscious victim. He attends Suffolk County Community College and plans to study medicine.
“The Islanders and TD Bank are very proud of Michael and we look forward to sharing his story in front of over 16,000 Fans at Nassau Coliseum,” Mr. Lombardo said.
