A Long Island man named Jamie Lambros, 48, drowned on October 7 at Horseshoe Bay Beach, Bermuda. Labros died a hero after he attempted to rescue a ten-year-old child who was in distress in the sea. While the boy was saved by Lambros's efforts, Lambros was pronounced dead in a local hospital.
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Lambros and 11 other family members were on a vacation cruise that was supposed to travel around several destinations. The very first one was Bermuda, and the family decided to visit Horseshoe Bay Beach, which is a popular tourist destination.
According to NBC New York, Lambros's mother, Phyllis Gasparri recalled hearing several cries for help. That is when they spotted the ten-year-old in the ocean, struggling alongside his brother who attempted to help him. Immediately, Lambros and his cousin jumped into the water. "That's who he was. He will give you the shirt off his back, he will help anyone," said Gasparri.
The ten-year-old and the others managed to get out of the waters, but Lambros, who wasn't a strong swimmer, struggled. A woman attempted to help him and managed to pull him to shore. However, after traveling to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, he was pronounced dead.
A Hero
Joey Pappas, Lambros's brother, said the following: "He was my hero when I was a kid and he was my hero now." The fact that Lambros wasn't a strong swimmer but instinctively decided to venture into the sea to help the boy is a testament to who Jamie Lambros was.
That said, his death could have been avoided if Horseshoe Bay Beach had more security measures in place. "There's no rescue skiis, there's no emergency teams that's gonna get there in time," said Gasparri. "We want change, we want tourists to be safe, we never want anyone else to feel this pain ever."
According to The Royal Gazette, Lambros is the third tourist who died at Horseshoe Bay Beach in 2024. Similarly to Lambros, a 49-year-old Pennsylvania drowned at the beach back in March after successfully rescuing a child.
The family has set up a GoFundMe campaign to support Lambros's family following his death, cover his funeral expenses, and pay for bringing his body from Bermuda. "Jamie was so much more than a son, brother, uncle, cousin, godfather and friend - he was the life of every party, someone whose laughter filled any room, and whose heart was as big as his spirit," reads the description. "His loss leaves an unimaginable void in all our lives."
