Floodwaters Claim Lives of Two Handymen in NYC, Leaving Residents Baffled and Demanding Answers
The stormy weather that pounded New York City on Thursday claimed the lives of two men who were no strangers to their respective buildings. Aaron Akaberi, 39, a familiar face at his Kingston Avenue building in Brooklyn, and Juan Carlos Montoya Hernandez, 43, an assistant superintendent's aide at a Washington Heights apartment complex, met their demise as waters rose in flooded basements.
Neighbors described Akaberi as a handyman who often helped out around the building, but not known to be its "super." His death was particularly poignant given his love for his two pit bulls. The news of his passing has left many confused and wondering how he ended up trapped in the apartment. Caban, one of his closest friends, expressed similar sentiments, stating that Akaberi would have risked everything to save his beloved animals.
Similarly, Montoya Hernandez was known as a helpful presence at his Washington Heights building, frequently assisting residents with daily errands. Neighbors recalled how he was like "family" to many, but what transpired in the basement during the intense storm remains a mystery. Morillo, an eyewitness who witnessed the tragedy, speculated that Montoya Hernandez may have touched an electrical wire while attempting to help and perished from electrocution.
The circumstances surrounding their deaths have raised questions about the city's approach to addressing basement flooding. According to Oates, the building owner where Akaberi died, he had previously stopped renting out the apartment due to recurring flooding issues. Yet, despite the warning signs, residents were not adequately prepared for such events.
As the investigation into these incidents unfolds, many are left grappling with how two men who were integral members of their communities could meet such a tragic fate in their own homes.
The stormy weather that pounded New York City on Thursday claimed the lives of two men who were no strangers to their respective buildings. Aaron Akaberi, 39, a familiar face at his Kingston Avenue building in Brooklyn, and Juan Carlos Montoya Hernandez, 43, an assistant superintendent's aide at a Washington Heights apartment complex, met their demise as waters rose in flooded basements.
Neighbors described Akaberi as a handyman who often helped out around the building, but not known to be its "super." His death was particularly poignant given his love for his two pit bulls. The news of his passing has left many confused and wondering how he ended up trapped in the apartment. Caban, one of his closest friends, expressed similar sentiments, stating that Akaberi would have risked everything to save his beloved animals.
Similarly, Montoya Hernandez was known as a helpful presence at his Washington Heights building, frequently assisting residents with daily errands. Neighbors recalled how he was like "family" to many, but what transpired in the basement during the intense storm remains a mystery. Morillo, an eyewitness who witnessed the tragedy, speculated that Montoya Hernandez may have touched an electrical wire while attempting to help and perished from electrocution.
The circumstances surrounding their deaths have raised questions about the city's approach to addressing basement flooding. According to Oates, the building owner where Akaberi died, he had previously stopped renting out the apartment due to recurring flooding issues. Yet, despite the warning signs, residents were not adequately prepared for such events.
As the investigation into these incidents unfolds, many are left grappling with how two men who were integral members of their communities could meet such a tragic fate in their own homes.
. The idea that two individuals, who were so well-liked and integral to their communities, could be caught off guard by something as preventable as basement flooding is just heartbreaking 
. I think we need to take a closer look at the city's flood mitigation policies and make sure they're more proactive in addressing these issues. It's unacceptable that residents weren't adequately prepared for this kind of event, especially when there were warning signs 
. As we move forward with the investigation, I hope we can learn from these tragedies and implement some meaningful changes to prevent similar losses in the future 
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. i'm not saying the city isn't doing its best to address these issues, but at the end of the day, we're still human and we can make mistakes.
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it's just so preventable ya know? These poor dudes were just trying to do their thing and help out neighbors but some stupid basement flooded and now they're gone 
. And it's not like the building owner was keeping up with maintenance or whatever, just another example of corporate greed being more important than human lives 
. I mean, what's the point of having a fancy building if you can't even keep it dry in a storm? This is just so messed up 
Basement floods gotta be a major priority, can't have people losing life over pipes bursting 
. Like, I'm all about being prepared for emergencies and stuff, but come on! Two guys just get caught in the flood and... boom 
. It's just not right, you know? Those buildings should have backup power or some kinda system to prevent this from happening. And what's with the owner just letting it continue like that? Shouldn't he've been doing more to fix the issue? I mean, I get that accidents can happen and all, but two lives lost... that's just too much 
shouldn't be a surprise when water comes into your basement. i know there are going to be a lot of questions asked during the investigation, and hopefully, we get some answers... but for now, all i can think about is those two guys, and what their families must be going through 
imagine if ur pitbulls got stuck & u had to risk everything to save them 
? building owners like Oates seem all talk & no action 
... need to make sure they're taken care of 
shouldn't we be doing more to prevent this kind of thing from happening in the first place?
. But yeah, maybe they could've done more to warn the residents about the dangers of basement flooding.
. I hope the investigation finds out what really went down and that we can learn from it 
... it's crazy how something as common as basement flooding can be so deadly 
... 
... and now we gotta figure out what went wrong so we don't lose anyone else 
, but it's still crazy to think that 2 guys like Aaron & Juan got caught in the floodwaters of their own apartments