Hurricane Irene 2011: Man Electrocuted Trying To Save Child In NY (UPDATED)

Updated August 30, 2011 1:21 a.m.

By Associated Press

SPRING VALLEY, N.Y. — Officials say a good Samaritan was electrocuted trying to help a young child who had gone into a flooded street outside New York City that had live wires embedded in it.

A spokesman for the Rockland County Emergency Operations Center says the child is in serious condition at a hospital burn unit.

Spokesman Ron Levine says the youngster got caught in wires obscured in a flooded Spring Valley street Sunday afternoon. He says the child had to be taken by land with a police escort to the hospital because helicopters were grounded. It took 20 minutes to get the child there.

The boy was had been with his father looking for storm damage. As passerby David Reichenberg, 50, attempted to save the child, he fell into a puddle of water electrified by the live wire, according to the New York Daily News.

When the rescue team arrived, they were unable to get near Reichenberg because of the wire, witness Moishe Lichtenstein said. He told the New York Daily News:

"When emergency officials got there, they couldn't touch him. We were standing there for like five or 10 minutes. We were just praying, 'God help this man.'"

Reichenberg died at the scene.

Levin told NBC he commends Reichenberg's act of bravery:

"The fact that he took the time and the risk in this type of situation makes him nothing less than a good Samaritan. It's a deep tragedy."

Levine says the child's father was treated for burns at another hospital and released. The victims' names were not released. Levine says the child was 4 or 5 years old.

Spring Valley is about 30 miles northwest of Manhattan.

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Comments

[ardis]

10:26 AM on 08/30/2011

What was the deadbeat dad doing while his son was embedded in wires? What was the IDIOT father thinking of taking a 4 year old out to look storm damage within hours of a hurricane? Now his child is in serious condition and a brave Good Samaritan is dead. Parents have been warned and warned. This criminally negligent father should be charged with child endangerment--that led to the death of an innocent passerby.

[Dusty754]

07:52 PM on 08/30/2011

"the child's father was treated for burns at another hospital and released". I would state that Dad was trying to help his son. Missed that sentence did you? Good lord read you own words. How does a child get embedded in wires? Originally the story stated that the street was embedded with wires. The photo indicates a light rail station. Thus the embedded wire is most likely the third rail. Probably the real question is, if the street was flooded, why was there still power to the third rail or what was there power to whatever wires were embedded in the street?
As for the parents being warned and warned? That is something you invented.

[Paula Androsko]

04:43 PM on 08/31/2011

You should be charged with stupidity!

[notsostimulated]

10:07 AM on 08/30/2011

A similar tragedy occurred in my community a few years ago. A mother and her children were electrocuted after a storm. It began when the dog ran into a charged puddle of water. This kind of tragedy occurs far too often. People need to be more careful after storms.

[Newly Minted]

08:49 AM on 08/30/2011

When people tell you to evacuate ahead of a dangerous storm, this kind of thing is one of the reasons why. Doesn't matter if the storm kills you or the aftermath--you are still dead. I hope everyone makes the effort to get out while you still can the next time.

[notsostimulated]

10:09 AM on 08/30/2011

These things also happen in areas where evacuations are not necessary. People need to proceed with caution after a storm. Many needless deaths occur afterwards.

[Liz Pierce]

08:30 AM on 08/30/2011

I bet no one in congress would do that.

they are paid six figures with full benefits for life compliments of the taxpayer...why????

[geofja]

06:18 AM on 08/30/2011

I tseems the storm was no big deal by those unaffected by it.

I find the inane ads on video clips annoying- I can't believe they serve any sales purpose - while peole wait to see video clips! Negative advertising!

[wakohnen]

05:50 AM on 08/30/2011

I applaud the gentleman that saved the child but do not let his death be in vain. There is a safety lesson we all can take from this story and it would be a shame if we ignored it. Please be careful and watch for downed wires after storms.

[tccat4]

04:10 AM on 08/30/2011

Amidst the chaos, an Angel is born. God Bless this man and his family, many didnt know him, or even heard his name. But he died a Hero, forever none the same.....

[mkn84]

03:19 AM on 08/30/2011

I know a lot of 5 year old storm damage appraisers. It doesn't sound like the child needed saving. I hope he didn't die in vain. God bless him but I wish he would have backed off. I don't care if you agree with me or not. The child's own father should have done the deed.

[Dusty754]

07:54 PM on 08/30/2011

Gee then I wonder why the child's father was treated for burns?? Could it be that Dad WAS trying to help?

[snowball13]

02:23 AM on 08/30/2011

See if everyone was like this man/hero what a great world we would live in.

[wakohnen]

05:47 AM on 08/30/2011

How could it be a great world if everyone met the same fate? All the good samaritans would be dead leaving no one but the selfish people.

[alycemd]

02:00 AM on 08/30/2011

This man isn't a good samaritan. A good samaritan helps you change you change your tire in the rain. A HERO does what he did. No man hath greater love than this.

[prestonsturges]

10:03 PM on 08/29/2011

And some said this storm was 'no big deal'.

[Laylla]

11:46 PM on 08/29/2011

Most of those people were under the age of 30, or lived in California heh. I actually went off on a 25 year old co worker for a comment like that the night OF the hurricane. When I told her that this was potentially disastrous and even the meteorologists were very concerned, she responded with " Oh that's just their opinion." I lost it on her lol

[chiefhairy]

09:56 PM on 08/29/2011

electrocute
v electrocute [iˈlektrəkjuːt]
1 to kill OR INJURE (a person etc) accidentally by electricity The child was electrocuted when he touched an uncovered electric wire.

[alycemd]

02:01 AM on 08/30/2011

True. The man died from electrocution.

[beansie]

09:47 PM on 08/29/2011

Bless this man....he probably didnt even stop to think about it......these are the stories I want to hear about....not these sniveling idiots in WA.....sick of hearing them.........

[Ryan Butters]

03:47 AM on 08/31/2011

What's your problem with Washingtonians?

[1100100]

07:06 PM on 09/01/2011

I would snivel too if Twilight was filmed in my homestate.

[beansie]

12:04 AM on 09/02/2011

sorry I should have been more specific......Republican Washtonians.....

[EllenFD]

09:30 PM on 08/29/2011

According to another news source, the man who died was a rabbi from Monsey, NY. If a priest or minister had attempted to rescue a child, I think the headline would have been "priest dies trying to save child." But here's he's identified only as "a man." I hope that omission was out of ignorance of the facts.

[maryk4d4]

11:34 PM on 08/29/2011

The link that I clicked on said "Good Samaritan dies while trying to save a child". How do you know that the other article is providing accurate information? It could've been an athiest that was electrocuted. What difference does it make? What does the hero's religious beliefs have to do with this story?

[scotttimscott09]

02:00 AM on 08/30/2011

I doubt that this man would have wanted to be recognized by his career or station-in-life. His sole thought was to save this child. May he be eternally blessed.

[TimFredrickson]

09:24 PM on 08/29/2011

This story is very badly written. Did the "Good Samaritan" die? How did the father get burned? Huff Post... (sigh)

[beansie]

09:48 PM on 08/29/2011

electrocuted usually means that he died.....I agree...they probably didnt have enough information to write about this completely.....

[1100100]

07:08 PM on 09/01/2011

Electrocuted ALWAYS means that someone died. It's the actual meaning of the word.

[alycemd]

02:05 AM on 08/30/2011

According to the article, the man was pronounced dead at the scene. I would guess that the father got burned trying to save his chid, or the man, or both, but I don't know for sure.