Obituaries

Hero Surfer Who Helped Save Lives During Sandy Dies

Lifeguard and surfer Dylan Smith died just weeks after helping save the lives of six others in his Belle Harbor hometown during Hurricane Sandy.

Smith, 23, was surfing in Puerto Rico this weekend when he tragically drowned. He was recently named to PEOPLE's 2012 Heroes of the Year list.

According to People.com:

During Superstorm Sandy Oct. 29, as a 6-foot surge roared down their block, and a fire from a gas line explosion engulfed houses around them, [Michael] McDonnell, a sales director for Chefs Diet, and Smith, a lifeguard, ushered six people to safety with a homemade rope bridge and Smith's surfboard.

According to the Daily News:

Acting with split-second timing and risking his own life, Smith and another selfless Belle Harbor man attached a homemade rope bridge to his surfboard on Oct. 29 and yanked a group of stranded victims to safety in the Rockaways.

Spotted off the shores of Rincon, a fellow surfer pulled Smith to shore, but a local doctor was unable to revive him.

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