Babylon Summer Parks Employees Receive Heroism Award For Aiding Wounded Cyclist

BABYLON, NY — Two summer park employees were recently recognized by Town of Babylon officials, after they helped an injured bicicylist to safety last summer.

Meagan Reilly and Don Chiappetta, two seasonal employees at Cedar Beach Marina, received the the Town of Babylon's Heroism Award at a recent Babylon Town Board meeting — the highest honor awarded by the municipality.

In June of 2021, the two were working at the marina when Reilly noticed a bicycle in the bushes off of the Ocean Parkway Coastal Greenway near the entrance to Cedar Beach Marina.

They rushed to the scene and found cyclist Alex Szulman, who was disoriented and injured after passing out while riding his bike.

Reilly, a young nursing student at the time, quickly sprang into action, calling 911 and addressing Szulman’s injuries until paramedics arrived. She also noticed that Szulman was wearing an ID bracelet, allowing her to communicate with him using his first name, town officials said.

In addition, she asked Szulman questions, checking the level of disorientation that could be associated with a head injury, and helping to make him feel more comfortable.

“It was a miracle that Alex passed out exactly where he did and we will be forever grateful to Meagan for her deep compassion and nursing skills that helped Alex,” Carla and Alex Szulman said in a letter to the town.