SEASIDE PARK, N.J. — A man who was struck and killed by lightning on the New Jersey coast on Sunday while trying to warn his children of an oncoming storm is being hailed as a hero by his girlfriend, who was there when the tragedy happened.
Patrick Dispoto, 59, died at the scene in Seaside Park shortly after he had been enjoying a hot day at the beach with his girlfriend.
“It was over 100 degrees that day on a Sunday, but when Patrick and I dipped our feet in the water it was only 60 degrees,” Ruth Fussell told FOX Weather. “Pat was explaining to me about the Gulf Stream, and we looked up at the sky and to the left it was completely clear, but to the right there was this big line of dark clouds. It was a polar opposite dichotomy.”
They decided to head back to the truck but noticed that there was still a group of kids on the beach.
“It looked like they had already packed their bags and had backpacks on,” Fassel said.
They walked back to the truck, but Dispoto was worried about her children.
“Patrick hit the remote for the truck and said, ‘OK, get in the car, get in the truck. I’ll be right back. Just tell the kids to get out,'” she said.
She said she begged him not to go but he told her “just one minute, just one minute.”
Fassel said she got into her truck, waited a minute and then texted him.
“There was no answer,” she said, “so I called him once, twice, three times.”
She ran from the truck and headed for the coast, where she encountered a man pleading for help.
“This guy was yelling, ‘Help! 911! Help!'” Fassel recalled, “And then I noticed something in the sand right next to him, so I ran over and … it was Pat.”
Fassel said they took turns, with one person administering chest compressions while the other administered mouth-to-mouth ventilation to Dispoto until paramedics arrived. Dispoto did not survive.
The storm hit around 7:30 p.m., and “(the beach) was closed at that point … there were no lifeguards on duty,” Fussell added. “So he went back on his own accord and tried to protect his children.”
‘Take care’
Fassel said she had wondered whether Dispoto could have warned her children, but she got her answer Thursday.
“One of the kids contacted me[Thursday],” she said. “She said, ‘I heard what happened. I heard about Patrick. I’m so sorry.’ I’ve been wondering, did he get to them before the lightning struck? What happened?'”
The girl told Fassel that Dispoto could have warned her.
“Pat was able to tell them to get away, that the skies were opening up,” she said. “They quickly packed their things up and got in their cars and Pat turned around, and the last thing she said was, ‘Be careful,’ and she said, ‘You too,’ and then they got in their own cars and she never knew what happened to Pat after that.”
A memorial service for Dispoto will be held Sunday.
“Patrick was a courageous hero,” Fassel said. “He was beloved in his community and well known for being selfless and always willing to help out in any way he could. But unfortunately, he has paid the ultimate price.”
