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BY JOHN SNYDER
OF PASCACK PRESS
WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J.—On the night of Friday, June 15, a toddler, Christian Azcona, slipped otherwise unseen into the fray of The Old Mill Pool, at the boundary of 3 feet falling to 4 feet, and began quietly to drown.
From his point of view, the world must have turned muted. It had been loud and splashy, with a DJ playing, kids cavorting, and a party in the works. All very far away now.
Lifeguard Justin Schneider, 17, was one of six lifeguards on duty. He’d seen Christian within the past 15 minutes in the water safe in his floaties, playing with his big brother, 8.
Now the young boy was alone, without floaties, and 4-feet deep.
“I was like, ‘Oh God, is this kid OK? He wasn’t severely struggling. He was two feet from the edge and surrounded by kids who could stand and could swim,” Schneider told Pascack Press July 25.
“He was in the beginning phases of drowning,” Schneider explained.
The rising Ridgewood High School senior, a Red Cross-certified lifeguard, hopped off his stand, ran to the water’s edge, and stuck out a pool tube, shouting for the toddler to grab it.
“There was no reaction. He just looked at me. I could tell he was aware of me but wasn’t reacting to anything. I pulled him out and put him out onto the pavement. I asked, ‘Are you OK?’ He didn’t say anything. His brother came over and recognized what was going on. I asked, ‘Where’s your mom?’”
Christian is fine. Still headstrong, still curious, still greatly independent.
His brother and parents are extremely grateful to have him safe.
Woodcliff Lake is thrilled.
In a ceremony at Borough Hall on July 16, the governing body presented Schneider with a certificate and a plaque for his vigilance and his job well done.
“When you made the decision to become a lifeguard, you were trained to always be on alert—watching for any sign of danger that could put swimmers’ lives at risk,” the certificate begins.
It continues: “Your vigilance sent you into the deep end within seconds of a 3-year-old child you observed jumping into deep water without the life vest you’d seen him wearing just minutes before.
“You had him out of the water before anyone else even knew he’d gone in.
“Your focused attention and split-second reaction averted a tragedy. You saved his life, and saved the family who loves him dearly. You are a hero. We are proud to honor you and forever grateful for your selfless commitment to the safety of all those who visit our pool.”
Christian’s parents, Mayra and Jhon Azcona, had wanted to attend the ceremony. She was traveling for work. But the couple wants it known that Schneider is a lifesaver. They told him so at the pool.
“He is a hero for us,” Jhon Azcona told Pascack Press.
He explained that Christian had been playing in the pool and asked his mother to take off his floaties so he could play in the playground.
She released the floaties from his arms and body. He ran off in the direction of the playground.
“Next thing he’s walking over crying, saying ‘I’m not going to do that again.’ He’d jumped into the deep end. We heard the story from him. It happened in a matter of seconds where he went back to the pool. It just happened so quick,” Jhon said.
He added, “Even with the floaties you’re always watching him. But he’s fast. That’s the problem too, and he’s not afraid. Had not the lifeguard been paying attention to him, who knows.”
Jhon said Christian loves to do things on his own. And he loves the water.
“His camp was at the town pool. He’s there pretty much all day during the summer,” Jhon added.
He advises that “People really should not take their eyes off their kids around the water,” and said he is so grateful not to have lost a child as did a former Montclair councilwoman, whose son drowned in a pool July 4.
“It’s a reminder of what could have happened to us,” he said.
‘The town wants to honor you…’
Schneider said that he considers this his first official save. Working as a private lifeguard at a house party, he once rescued a girl who jumped in next to him.
“It wasn’t as big a save. I realized she couldn’t swim and scooped her up,” he said.
He got his lifeguard certification, which includes first aid, CPR, water training, and waterfront certification (so that he can work lakeside as well as pools).
After Christian’s family thanked him for the save, he figured that would be the end of it.
Not so!
Pool Manager Todd Colombo reached out. Word had spread to Facebook. The Recreation Department gave him a gift card to a burger place. Then he got an email: The town wants to honor you at the next meeting of the mayor and council.
“I went with my mom. There was a speech and I got a plaque and a standing ovation. It was cool and a very, like, surreal moment. I wasn’t embarrassed, but my checks were red, definitely. It’s been a very cool process. I’m very grateful,” he said.
Schniender said he’s interested in a business career. He’s very involved with DECA at school—the club focuses on leadership and personal development—and is signed up for summer studies in entrepreneurship at Northwestern College.
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