Man plucks two kids from Braddock Lake

Maurice Blaudino was frustrated and angry last Tuesday morning. After trudging through the snow to get to a doctor’s appointment, the North Bergen resident arrived at the office to find out that the appointment had been cancelled without his knowledge. “The doctor didn’t even bother to show up,” Blaudino said. “I really wasn’t happy.” To ease his mind, Blaudino decided to stroll through North Hudson Braddock Park, back to his Boulevard East residence. “There were kids in the park having a good time in the snow, with their sleds and all,” Blaudino said. “It was a nice scene.” However, Blaudino had no idea what was to follow. He heard a cry for help. Apparently, two young boys, both 12 years old, were walking along what they believed to be a completely frozen lake in the middle of the park, but the ice broke and they fell into the frigid waters. “I didn’t see them go into the water,” Blaudino said. “When I first heard them yelling and pointing, I thought they were goofing off. But they were panicking themselves. I looked closer and saw that they were definitely in the lake.” The quick-thinking Blaudino didn’t waste any time. He rushed to the aid of the young boys in distress. “I got down on my belly and crawled to the hole where they fell in,” said the 40-year-old Blaudino. “I made other kids take their scarves and hats and belts and tie them all together, so the kids could have something to pull them out.” Blaudino didn’t want to move any more than he had to. “Every time I moved forward, the ice was cracking underneath me,” Blaudino said. “I was praying to God that I wouldn’t go in as well.” Blaudino got the first youngster out, with the youngster’s help. “He was able to pry himself from the ice and he was able to get off to the side,” Blaudino said. “But the second one couldn’t hold on to the belt. I was cold and wet myself, so it was a struggle. And the ice was cracking. It was really tense.” Blaudino’s experience as a scuba diver enabled him to realize how much time the children had in the icy waters, before any danger would set in. With the help of another passerby, Blaudino was able to calm the youngster down, then pulled him out of the water to safety. Some of the other children that were nearby ran to get help from the Hudson County Sheriff’s officers who man the park. Sherriff’s Officer Sgt. Anthony Conti said last week that two sheriff’s officers arrived at the scene. Ivan Gonzalez and Christopher Schwindt transported the two youngsters to Palisades General Hospital. “The boys said that they were walking along the ice to get to the island in the middle of the lake,” Conti said. “They were able to walk across, but on the way back, the ice gave way and they slipped through. After Mr. Blaudino helped them to get out, they were taken to the hospital and were in good condition.” “We got them out after only a few minutes, about 10 minutes or so,” Blaudino said. “They were cold and shivering. One of them kept his hands and arms inside my coat to keep warm. They were very lucky.” Blaudino was angered by the fact that there are no signs posted near the lake warning children to stay away. “There are no signs, no markers,” Blaudino said. “It wasn’t cold enough to freeze that lake solid. There has to be a way to keep the kids away from going out on that ice. It’s not safe. I had this helpless feeling that the whole thing could have been avoided.” Blaudino didn’t want a lot of recognition for his act of kindness that saved the boys’ lives. He was reluctant, at first, to be interviewed, and he declined to have his photograph taken for this article. Blaudino doesn’t know the names of the boys and may never know them. Because of their age, the names do not appear on the official police report. All Blaudino wants is one thing: For the township or the county to post signs saying to stay off the lake, even when it appears to be frozen. “I called the town’s parks department, but I didn’t get an answer,” said Blaudino, who didn’t know that the jurisdiction to the park lies within Hudson County and is not technically North Bergen’s responsibility. “I hope that something gets done from this. That’s all I want.” Perhaps that simple sign could be Blaudino’s reward for a job well done.