Laurel is a hero. Sure, she did the job in the right way in the right time as a lifeguard. But there is more. She is a solid person and with a great attitude and a gem to be around.
Teen hero 'just doing my job' - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review A member of the Keystone Oaks Girls swim team, Martinez has been an avid swimmer since she was 4 years old and hopes to continue swimming competitively in college. She is a lifeguard at the South Hills Jewish Community Center in Scott.
Amy Torcaso, manager at Dormont Pool, is proud of the way her lifeguards responded to the incident.
'Laurel did what needed to be done. They all did,' Torcaso said. 'This reinforced the fact that we have trained them well.'
The lifeguards' work impressed Jane Mitchell, a regular swimmer at the pool.
'They didn't stop for even one second,' said Mitchell, 74, of Dormont. 'Everyone ought to be proud of the lifeguards we have here.'
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Teen hero 'just doing my job'
Laurel Martinez photo ran in the Trib
By Daveen Rae Kurutz
Tribune-Review
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Laurel Martinez had just taken her lifeguard's post at the 9-foot mark of the Dormont Pool when she saw the man stop swimming.
The hot weather had attracted a crowd to the pool Thursday, and Martinez -- one of 14 lifeguards on duty -- kept her eye on the man. She thought he put his head underwater to retrieve something, maybe money or another object in the pool.
When he didn't resurface, she counted to 30 and blew her whistle three times, to signify an emergency. Then she dove in, swimming hard to get to the man Dormont police later identified as Noe Lopez-Vilchis.
Her quick actions made her a local celebrity. The rookie lifeguard had saved the 32-year-old swimmer's life.
"I was just doing my job," said Martinez, 16, of Dormont. "It's no different than hosing down the deck at the beginning of the day -- it's what's expected from a lifeguard."
This was not Martinez's first rescue. Earlier this year, she pulled a girl from the deep end of the pool.
This time, she said, "I was thinking, 'I should be going faster,' so I ditched my (inflatable) tube and got to him as fast as humanly possible.
"Until I saw his face, it was like training. When I saw his face, it became real."
She pulled the man from the water, and other lifeguards began CPR.
Lopez-Vilchis was in critical condition at Mercy Hospital, Uptown, a hospital spokesperson said. Dormont police Chief Russ McKibben referred questions about him to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, saying he believes Lopez-Vilchis is an illegal immigrant.
Federal authorities are investigating his status, said Rich Boronyak, an ICE agent, but cannot make a final determination until they can speak with him.
A member of the Keystone Oaks Girls swim team, Martinez has been an avid swimmer since she was 4 years old and hopes to continue swimming competitively in college. She is a lifeguard at the South Hills Jewish Community Center in Scott.
Amy Torcaso, manager at Dormont Pool, is proud of the way her lifeguards responded to the incident.
"Laurel did what needed to be done. They all did," Torcaso said. "This reinforced the fact that we have trained them well."
The lifeguards' work impressed Jane Mitchell, a regular swimmer at the pool.
"They didn't stop for even one second," said Mitchell, 74, of Dormont. "Everyone ought to be proud of the lifeguards we have here."
Daveen Rae Kurutz can be reached at dkurutz@tribweb.com or 412-380-5627.
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