Floodwaters Prove Deadly for NYC's Unassuming Heroes, Who Dared to Help in Crisis
Two men, who just happened to be handymen at their respective buildings, lost their lives as torrential rains poured down on New York City Thursday. Aaron Akaberi, 39, and Juan Carlos Montoya Hernandez, 43, were familiar faces among the residents of Brooklyn's Kingston Avenue and Washington Heights, but it was in those very basements where they met their demise.
Akaberi, who lived in a cramped subterranean apartment with his two pit bulls, had become so accustomed to flooding that neighbors described him as having "a sixth sense" for anticipating when water would rise. When the waters suddenly surged on Thursday, he rushed back into the basement apartment despite warnings from neighbors and friends. Tragically, Akaberi did not survive. Neighbors said his actions were characteristic of a man consumed by love for his animals, who would have risked anything to save them.
Montoya Hernandez's story was eerily similar. The 43-year-old had gone down to the boiler room on West 175th Street in Washington Heights to fix an electrical issue when the power sputtered out. Neighbors described him as a "super" with a kind heart, who would help neighbors with daily errands and even take their children to school. As he attempted to rectify the situation, he likely touched live wires, leading to his tragic death.
The flooding in both buildings was not a surprise to residents, many of whom spoke out about the urgent need for action against these types of basements. Kingston Avenue building owner Kenneth Oates had effectively closed off the basement apartment to new tenants due to water issues, while the Washington Heights building's owner extended condolences and promised support for the investigation into Montoya Hernandez's death.
While officials have launched investigations into both incidents, one can't help but wonder: what did we learn from these two tragic losses? Have we learned nothing yet about the importance of taking proactive measures against flooding in New York City's basements?
As the city begins to assess the damage and take steps towards preventing such tragedies in the future, it's clear that these handymen - heroes by any other name - will be remembered for their bravery and selflessness.
Two men, who just happened to be handymen at their respective buildings, lost their lives as torrential rains poured down on New York City Thursday. Aaron Akaberi, 39, and Juan Carlos Montoya Hernandez, 43, were familiar faces among the residents of Brooklyn's Kingston Avenue and Washington Heights, but it was in those very basements where they met their demise.
Akaberi, who lived in a cramped subterranean apartment with his two pit bulls, had become so accustomed to flooding that neighbors described him as having "a sixth sense" for anticipating when water would rise. When the waters suddenly surged on Thursday, he rushed back into the basement apartment despite warnings from neighbors and friends. Tragically, Akaberi did not survive. Neighbors said his actions were characteristic of a man consumed by love for his animals, who would have risked anything to save them.
Montoya Hernandez's story was eerily similar. The 43-year-old had gone down to the boiler room on West 175th Street in Washington Heights to fix an electrical issue when the power sputtered out. Neighbors described him as a "super" with a kind heart, who would help neighbors with daily errands and even take their children to school. As he attempted to rectify the situation, he likely touched live wires, leading to his tragic death.
The flooding in both buildings was not a surprise to residents, many of whom spoke out about the urgent need for action against these types of basements. Kingston Avenue building owner Kenneth Oates had effectively closed off the basement apartment to new tenants due to water issues, while the Washington Heights building's owner extended condolences and promised support for the investigation into Montoya Hernandez's death.
While officials have launched investigations into both incidents, one can't help but wonder: what did we learn from these two tragic losses? Have we learned nothing yet about the importance of taking proactive measures against flooding in New York City's basements?
As the city begins to assess the damage and take steps towards preventing such tragedies in the future, it's clear that these handymen - heroes by any other name - will be remembered for their bravery and selflessness.
those two guys were literally unsung heroes who just did what anyone would do if they loved someone (their pets) so much... they put themselves in harm's way & didn't think twice about it 
i mean, we know flooding is a big deal but can't we learn from their stories & take action now? 
let's make sure these tragedies aren't in vain & that more people like Aaron & Juan are not losing their lives because of our negligence 
what's up with these handymen? they were literally just doing their job & helping ppl out... shouldn't we learn from this to take precautions instead of waiting 4 the next disaster 
anyway, i'm so sad for akaberi & montoya hernandez... i can imagine how hard it must've been 4 them to deal w/ those floods 2 times... 
. I live in a flat with my little one and we always make sure to check the drainage system before the rains come. It's crazy that these basements were like ticking time bombs 
. I'm all for taking proactive measures against flooding, like installing proper waterproofing systems and making those basements safe again 
. We can't keep losing lives over something so preventable 
.
. And then to lose your life over it... it's just too much 
. They're basically ticking time bombs waitin' to happen. We need to be doin' more to prevent this stuff from happenin' in the first place 
. I mean, who thought it was a good idea to leave those handymen down there alone? They were literally risking their lives to fix some electrical issue or help someone out 
. And for what? So we can keep our fancy buildings and apartments? It's just not right 
. We need to be doing better, but I'm not holding my breath 
shouldn't this be a wake-up call for the city to make sure these types of basements are retrofitted and upgraded ASAP 
i mean, who knew handymen were the real heroes? 
i was like whoa how did that even happen? anyway back to these two dudes... it's so sad they had to die trying to help others. i mean i get it, we need people like them in our community, but shouldn't they be able to do their job without risking life and death? 
i feel bad that we didn't learn from this earlier, but at least we're talking about it now 
let's hope that these tragedies lead to some real change in the city 
. We need to take a closer look at these basements and figure out what can be done to prevent this kind of thing from happening again. It's not just about the handymen, it's about the people they were trying to protect... their families, neighbors... we owe them that