John Espada saved Tyler Manganiello and Brittany A. Pezzillo from falling, Scotch Plains, New Jersey, August 30, 1994. Tyler, 7; Brittany, 6, and another child, riding a Ferris wheel at an amusement park, fell from their seat when it was at the top of the 50-foot-high wheel. The other child fell to the pavement, severely injured, but Tyler and Brittany secured a hold of the structure of the wheel, which was stationary, and remained near the top. A visitor to the park, Espada, 35, carpenter, was alerted to the situation. He ran to the wheel and climbed up its structure to the children. He grasped Brittany and helped her to sit on one of the structure’s beams, then he grasped Tyler, who was standing on a part of the wheel. Espada hugged both children to him as he secured himself to the wheel. After several minutes, a park employee arrived with a harness. He climbed the wheel and with Espada placed the children back into the seat. The wheel was turned to lower the seat to ground level, and the children were removed. Tyler recovered from bruised ribs, and Espada recovered from contusions and sore muscles.
69068 – 7935
69068-7935