GREENWOOD LAKE – Victor Gelman went to Greenwood Lake on Wednesday to fuel up his boat. However, since he is a self-proclaimed fishing addict, Gelman couldn’t resist casting a few lines.
That decision may have saved Jeff Palamaro’s life.
Gelman rescued Palamaro at about 4:45 p.m. after his kayak capsized near the New York-New Jersey border on the lake. Palamaro, 38, a Hewitt, N.J. resident, had been in the 50-degree water for about 30 minutes with a life jacket on.
“I inherently believe in the goodness of people,” said Gelman, a Warwick resident. “In my heart, I think any other individual would have done the same thing. It was a normal day, and I am glad that I helped Jeff out. That is what I was supposed to do.”
While fishing, Gelman noticed an empty kayak on the lake. He powered down the boat and approached the kayak and saw Palamaro in the choppy water. Gelman threw out a rope to Palamaro and “wrestled” him into the boat.
“I didn’t realize how hard it was to get someone in the boat from the water, but we managed,” said Gelman, who owns Warwick Chocolate Company.
Gelman brought Palamaro and his kayak to shore and the pair plan to keep in touch.
“I am absolutely grateful to Victor,” Palamaro said. “I was getting kind of close to shore, but I was getting tired and cold out there. Victor was a super nice guy, and I was blessed that he was out there to help me. Even if I did make it to shore, I would have been cold and on someone else’s property.”
