A hero can come in all shapes and sizes. They may not even know they are a hero until they have to step up and into the role. That’s what happened to a teenage boy from Long Island. The 17-year-old boy was minding his business when all of a sudden, a driver drove into the Great South Bay in New York.
Anthony Zhongor watched the driver drive full throttle off of a pier. As onlookers started to panic, the boy realized that no one else was willing to jump in to help the frantic driver. The young man dove into the cold and was able to reach the car as it started to sink. Zhongor pulled open the back door and was able to assist the driver out of the car. Shortly after getting the driver out, their car sank to the bottom of the bay. The young man didn’t just get her out of the underwater car, but he swam her to safety too.
The driver in question was an 18-year-old girl relatively new to driving. She had stepped on the gas when she meant to step on the brakes. After processing the event, the victim’s parents shared that she was very worried they would be upset with her for ruining and losing the car. However, she couldn’t have been more wrong. Her family said they were just happy to have their daughter safe. They went on to say that material items like cars are replaceable, but their daughter isn’t. Read on to see what the hero said about jumping into the water.
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In an interview with CBS the young hero shared, “I just hear a huge splash and everyone running toward the dock,” Zhongor said.
After noticing that no one was jumping in to help the driver, he said he couldn’t just stand there and do nothing. “That’s what really made me jump in the water, because she was banging on door trying to break it, kind of got scared. So I just jumped in,” he shared. He added, “Dying while suffocating is one of my worst fears, so I couldn’t imagine anyone going through that right in front of me. I feel like anyone would make that decision,” Zhongor said.
The father of the 18-year-old driver, Charlie Samolinski, said that Zhongor was a true hero.
“The real hero of the day is Anthony, without a doubt. There were a group of people on the dock. They were filming it. He did something about it,” Samolinski said. The thankful father went on to share that the car is replaceable, yet his daughter is not. “She’s here today because of him,” her father said. “A car can be replaced. Things can be replaced. My daughter? Irreplaceable,” the father shared.
Just a short while after the incident, Zhongor graduated high school as a known hero. His goal after graduation was to join the marines and it seems his good deed might count in his favor.
Staff Sgt. Christian Erazo of the U.S. Marines Recruitment shared that the young man’s courage is exactly what they look for when recruiting for the marines. “I think they are extremely heroic, that they are exactly the type of individuals we look for to serve this country. One hundred percent selfless. That’s exactly what we instruct and teach,” he shared.
Would you jump into the water to save someone?! We are blown away by this young man’s courage! If you found this article inspiring— make sure to pass it on to someone else who will too!
