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NJ Boy Saves Child From Drowning, Credits SpongeBob
By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 10, 2010
Modified Jun 10, 2010
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 10, 2010
Modified Jun 10, 2010
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Watching TV can be lifesaving, part 2! In April, a Long Island girl saved her choking friend when she remembered the episode where SpongeBob Squarepants performs the Heimlich maneuver on Squidward, who accidentally swallowed his clarinet. Now we learn that an 8-year-old NJ boy pulled a drowning 5-year-old from a lake, thanks again to the wonders of SpongeBob!
A number of families had been swimming in a manmade lake in Washington Township, NJ when little Andrew Gentile started to struggle as he swam in the six-foot deep area of the lake. The Courier-Post reports that his mother, who thought the water was shallow in that area, jumped in "but she too couldn't feel the lake's floor and panicked." Enter Reese Ronceray, who says, "I just saw and then I just knew how to react, I jumped in," swam over to Andrew and grabbed him, putting Andrew's head in his arms. Reese added, "The hardest part was when we both went under, getting us back up to the surface."
Reese said he learned the move from watching SpongeBob Squarepants—and his swimming lessons probably helped too. Gentile's mother is grateful for Reese's quick thinking and skills—she calls him an "angel"—and the 8-year-old has been celebrated at his school and on local radio stations. But he just wants life to go back to "normal." The NYC Parks & Recreation Department offers free swimming lessons—check this website or call 311 for more info (programs may start back up when the outdoor pool season opens at the end of the month).
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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