By 5 Towns Central Staff

ATLANTIC BEACH, NY (August 11, 2026)

Six-year-old Zecharia Goldstein and his eight-year-old sister, Dalia Goldstein, were swimming in the ocean when they heard a man calling for help. He appeared helpless as the waves tossed him back and forth, and he pleaded with the children to find an adult.

Realizing that the man was in serious danger, Zecharia and Dalia immediately sprang into action. They first approached three men who were chatting on the beach and told them that someone needed help. The men dismissed their concern, saying that he was probably just playing around.

But Zecharia and Dalia trusted their instincts and refused to give up. Determined to save the man, they ran to the lifeguard station and alerted the lifeguards. They then ran back with them, leading them directly to the struggling swimmer.

The lifeguards pulled the man from the water and saved him from drowning.

According to police, the 45-year-old man had fallen from his boogie board and struck his head, resulting in a suspected spinal injury. He was airlifted to a local hospital and is currently listed in stable condition.

Thanks to Zecharia and Dalia’s courage, determination, and quick thinking, a man’s life was saved that day.

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Kol Hakavod!

Footage from water rescue at Atlantic Beach on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/zLwkZR7WnD

— 5TownsCentral (@5TownsCentral) August 11, 2026