Long Island woman rescues man trapped on jet ski in icy creek | WATCH
LONG ISLAND - A Long Island woman sprang into action after a man fell through an icy creek, ultimately saving his life.
Kayla Masato, at home in Mastic Beach with her family after Christmas, noticed something unusual: a jet ski stranded on the frozen creek near her yard.
"I thought it was odd because everything was covered in ice," she said. But the situation quickly became more serious.
As she watched, the man fell into the frigid water. "I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, he’s going in,’" she recalled. Within seconds, he was struggling to stay afloat in the icy creek.
Without hesitation, Kayla grabbed her paddle board and rushed outside. Though not a swimmer by trade, she knew she had to act fast.
"He was just like, ‘Get me out, I’m sinking!’" she said.
Kayla quickly used the board to help him stay above water, while others on the dock pulled him in with a rope, urgency clear in the frantic moments.
In those critical seconds, every moment mattered. Kayla’s quick thinking made all the difference.
Kayla says she usually deflates her paddle board for the winter but that she hadn't yet. "It was the right time, the right place," she said.
Her sister, Brooke, who recorded the rescue, wasn’t surprised by Kayla’s actions. "Kayla just saved this man’s life," she said. "It’s a prayer answered."
Though Kayla doesn’t know the man’s name, she knows he has a daughter and a mother, both of whom were grateful for her quick response.
Kayla remains humble about her heroism, saying: "I’m just a person, I’d do it again for anyone."
When the man and Kayla finally meet, she says she hopes to express how grateful she is that he’s safe.