Mastic woman honored for paddleboard rescue of man from sinking watercraft on icy creek

Kayla Masotto was watching television with her sister the day after Christmas when she noticed something peculiar out of the corner of her eye.

From her Mastic living room, which overlooks a frozen Poospatuck Creek, Masotto saw a man on a personal watercraft — a usual occurrence on warm days, but odd in cold conditions.

In pajamas and boots, Masotto, 28, went outside and called out to the man to make sure he was OK. But in a matter of moments, the ice cracked, the machine started to sink, and the man fell into the frigid water.

What happened next ended with the lifesaving rescue of the man, and Monday, Masotto was honored as a hero.

"This is the best of Suffolk," Suffolk County Executive Edward P. Romaine said in a ceremony. "Suffolk should be where we take care of one another and we care about one another, and she cared enough to listen and to act."

Surrounded by friends, family and members of the Mastic Fire Department and Suffolk County Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services, Masotto received a proclamation from Romaine in front of the fire station.

"Some would dare say, 'that's not my problem,' " Romaine said. "Someone said, ‘I'm going to care.’ ”

When she saw the man fall into the water, Masotto ran down to her basement, picked up her 8-foot-long paddleboard, and sprinted to the creek.

"I just know how quickly someone can go to hypothermia or drown in a situation like that," she said.

Looking back, Masotto said she was impressed that her 5-foot-3 frame carried the board so fast to the creek.

"Adrenaline takes over your body, and you kind of just go into fight or flight," she said.

A video of the rescue, taken by Masotto’s sister, Brooke, was played for members of the media on a television in the fire station parking lot.

Masotto explained how she kept the paddleboard horizontal while staying low and pushed it forward on the ice to equally distribute her weight.

Once she reached the man, Masotto held out a paddle for him to grab onto.

The man was not wearing a life jacket and had tried to climb up onto the ice, but it broke underneath him, Masotto said.

The man’s cousin and three other people, who were nearby and recognized the emergency, helped Masotto bring the man to shore.

"It was very emotional," Masotto said. "He thought he was going to die."

Mastic Fire Chief Steve Januszkiewicz said the rescue was so fast that by the time first responders had processed the 911 call about the incident, the man had been brought to shore.

"Kayla did a great job. It certainly wasn't without risk," he said. "She was very calculated and strategic."

Masotto and the other bystanders helped the man warm up until EMS and firefighters arrived. He was taken to a hospital for treatment.

The two have since reunited, as the man wanted to thank Masotto for her bravery, although he was not at Monday's ceremony. He was especially grateful because, he told her then, he does not know how to swim.

"It's weird when people say you're a hero, you're Superwoman," Masotto said. "But truly, I'm just a neighbor, and I would do it for anyone."