SUFFOLK COUNTY, Long Island (WABC) — A hiker and his dog on Wednesday were reunited with the Suffolk County police officers who helped rescue them last week from sinking mud.
Kyle Prato and his dog, Striker, were pulled to safety from mud by Sgt. Katherine Kuzminski and Officer Richard Esposito at Blydenburgh County Park in Smithtown.
Prato, a paramedic from Medford, was hiking on Jan. 30 in the park when Striker took off from the path to chase a duck. This led to Prato immediately sinking chest deep in the mud.
The scary moment was caught on an onlooker’s phone.
“Cold, very cold,” Prato said. “I couldn’t feel my face, barely feel my lips, my legs. Kind of surreal. I was still in disbelief that it was really happening, and then seeing it in real time, it hit hard realizing that’s what was going on.”
Officers say Prato called 911 and waited 45 minutes while continuing to slowly sink.
Officer Esposito found Prato, but the nearly 10-year veteran of the force started sinking himself beside Sgt. Kuzminski, before fighting to get himself out.
“I was able to kind of shimmy out and grabbed him by the arm of the jacket and get him out,” Esposito said.
Esposito and Kuzminski were honored for their service in a ceremony by Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine.
“It’s a wonderful achievement and we’re very honored to achieve it,” Kuzminski said.
Romaine says there are already “do not enter” signs posted near the unstable ground. The county plans to post more.
ALSO READ: Community celebrates beloved UPS driver retiring after 38 years
Lauren Glassberg has more on the Westfield community’s special send-off for the UPS driver, Anthony Romano.
———-
* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts
Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News
Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.
Copyright © 2025 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
