2 MA First Responders Saved A Priest During Their Beach Vacation

BERMUDA — A New Bedford firefighter and a Waltham dispatcher jumped into action while on vacation in Bermuda recently.

Jon Cincotta, the Waltham dispatcher, and Michael Desouza, the New Bedford firefighter, are credited with the rescue and resuscitation of an elderly man who nearly drowned, the New Bedford Fire Department and Waltham Fire Union said.

While at the beach, Desouza and Cincotta were made aware of an elderly male unresponsive in the water, officials said. The 75-year-old man was found floating in about two feet of water next to his elderly brother.

Desouza and Cincotta brought the man to shore and began performing CPR, eventually bringing the man to a state of semi-consciousness, officials said.

Two surgeons who were nearby on the beach arrived to assist with patient care after CPR was initiated. The patient was transported to a local hospital, officials said.

The man who nearly drowned is a Catholic priest from Halifax, Nova Scotia, in Canada, and was on a cruise with his family to celebrate his 50th anniversary of ordination as a priest, officials said.

The man recovered fully and was able to return home to Canada.