Boy rescued from icy waters in East Patchogue on Christmas Day is 'back to himself'
Tayvion, 8, pictured here Friday, was rescued on Christmas Day after he fell through the ice covering the pond of an East Patchogue apartment complex. Credit: Alek Lewis/Newsday
An 8-year-old East Patchogue boy who fell through the ice after crossing a frozen pond on Christmas was already back on his bike Friday, a day after a dramatic rescue and a brief hospital stay.
The boy, Tayvion, was playing with two other children near a shallow pond in the middle of his apartment complex where he lives with his mother.
The pond had iced over, and the energetic child told Newsday his friends dared him to cross it on foot.
Tayvion said he thought the ice was strong enough to hold him. About halfway across the pond, it suddenly wasn’t. Tayvion plunged chest-deep into the freezing water, unable to climb back out as the slick ice cracked around him.
A nearby neighbor at the Heatherwood Lakeside Village apartment complex spotted Tayvion in the water. The resident called 911 around 1 p.m., according to Suffolk County police. Tayvion's mother, Crystal, was alerted and quickly came out of their nearby apartment, feeling “terrified” for her son, she said in an interview on Friday.
Two other neighbors tried to help Tayvion, but were unable to get to him, Crystal said. Crystal asked that her family's last name be withheld for privacy reasons.
Tayvion said he felt cold, sad and worried while he was stuck in the frigid pond. He was in the water for about 20 minutes before three Suffolk police officers arrived to rescue the struggling boy, Crystal said.
According to police, Fifth Precinct Officers James Rizzo and Andrew Tirelli attempted to throw the boy a life ring. Highway Sgt. Michael Santillo pulled Tayvion out of the pond, police said in a news release.
After being pulled from the water, Tayvion said he was dizzy and unable to move his arms and legs. He spent the next two hours at NYU Langone Hospital—Suffolk, in East Patchogue, warming up and being evaluated, according to his mother.
A day later, Tayvion was back outside the complex in below-freezing temperatures, riding his bicycle with a smile on his face.
“He’s back to himself,” his mother said. "I feel a sense of relief that he’s safe.”
Tayvion said he’s thankful to the police officers and neighbors who helped him.
His lesson from the ordeal? “I learned never to go into that pond ever again,” he said.
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