New York City's Storm Brings Tragic Losses Among Local Heroes
As torrential rain pounded New York City on Thursday, two men who were familiar faces in their respective buildings met tragic ends. Aaron Akaberi, a 39-year-old handyman at Kingston Avenue in Flatbush, Brooklyn, rushed back into his cramped subterranean apartment to rescue one of his beloved pit bulls before succumbing to the rising waters.
Neighbors described Akaberi as a devoted pet owner who would have risked everything for his animals. "He would have gone in if the place was on fire," said Michael Caban, a friend of Akaberi's. "Everything was about his animals, that was his life." The flooded basement apartment revealed exposed pipes, utilities, and wiring, making it a death trap.
Juan Carlos Montoya Hernandez, 43, also lost his life in the floodwaters at an apartment building on West 175th Street in Washington Heights. As the superintendent's assistant, he had likely gone down to help with the power issue when the electrical wires touched him, causing fatal electrocution.
The two men were well-known among their neighbors, who remembered them as helpful and kind. Montoya Hernandez was described by Maciel Abreu, an upstairs neighbor, as "family" who helped her with daily errands during her recovery from a leg injury. His death has sparked concerns about the safety of basement apartments in flood-prone areas.
City officials acknowledged that 3 inches of rain fell over two hours on Thursday afternoon, and one inch of rain fell during a particularly intense 10-minute period. While efforts to reach new landlords were unsuccessful, some property owners have taken steps to address flooding issues in their buildings.
The tragedy has brought attention to the need for improved safety measures in basement apartments, with the city's Department of Buildings launching an investigation into both incidents. The proposed legalization effort aims to alleviate New York's housing crunch while implementing new safety rules that require at least two exits and a sprinkler system for these units.
As torrential rain pounded New York City on Thursday, two men who were familiar faces in their respective buildings met tragic ends. Aaron Akaberi, a 39-year-old handyman at Kingston Avenue in Flatbush, Brooklyn, rushed back into his cramped subterranean apartment to rescue one of his beloved pit bulls before succumbing to the rising waters.
Neighbors described Akaberi as a devoted pet owner who would have risked everything for his animals. "He would have gone in if the place was on fire," said Michael Caban, a friend of Akaberi's. "Everything was about his animals, that was his life." The flooded basement apartment revealed exposed pipes, utilities, and wiring, making it a death trap.
Juan Carlos Montoya Hernandez, 43, also lost his life in the floodwaters at an apartment building on West 175th Street in Washington Heights. As the superintendent's assistant, he had likely gone down to help with the power issue when the electrical wires touched him, causing fatal electrocution.
The two men were well-known among their neighbors, who remembered them as helpful and kind. Montoya Hernandez was described by Maciel Abreu, an upstairs neighbor, as "family" who helped her with daily errands during her recovery from a leg injury. His death has sparked concerns about the safety of basement apartments in flood-prone areas.
City officials acknowledged that 3 inches of rain fell over two hours on Thursday afternoon, and one inch of rain fell during a particularly intense 10-minute period. While efforts to reach new landlords were unsuccessful, some property owners have taken steps to address flooding issues in their buildings.
The tragedy has brought attention to the need for improved safety measures in basement apartments, with the city's Department of Buildings launching an investigation into both incidents. The proposed legalization effort aims to alleviate New York's housing crunch while implementing new safety rules that require at least two exits and a sprinkler system for these units.
i mean, who needs that kind of stress in their life? akaberi was just trying to save his pup and ends up losing his own life... it's just so heartbreaking. 
. montoya hernandez seems like he was just trying to help out, but ends up getting electrocuted... it's just so tragic.
. hopefully this leads to some real change and not just a bunch of lip service.
another day another life lost in the city that never sleeps it's crazy how 3 inches of rain can be so deadly like, what even is the point of having buildings if they're just gonna turn into deathtraps? 
what a waste
this is just heartbreaking 
who put their lives on the line for others & it breaks my heart that they lost theirs in such a tragic way 
& now we gotta worry about those poor basement apartments getting flooded all the time? 
safety measures need to be taken ASAP 
man, it's crazy how we can be so caught up in trying to save others, but often put ourselves in harm's way... like Akaberi, he was literally risking his life to rescue his pet 
, and what did he get? The waters took him away 
like aaron & juan, they sound like real heroes 
hope the city takes action & we dont see more lives lost 
I feel so bad for Aaron Akaberi and Juan Carlos Montoya Hernandez 
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. I get it, they're gonna be skeptical, but we can't let fear hold us back 
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I'm all for helping out those in need but some safety measures would be nice 
like having a backup plan for when things get too rough. maybe it's just me but shouldn't we prioritize our own lives over animals sometimes? 
anyway hope the city takes action on this and makes these basement apartments safer 
It's crazy how these floods can be so devastating not just to the property but also to the lives of those living in them. And I feel bad for Maciel Abreu and her family losing Juan Carlos Montoya Hernandez he was literally like a part of their family 
It's good that city officials are taking steps to address this issue, but 3 inches of rain is still pretty crazy...
The city should really focus on upgrading those basement apartments, it's just not fair to put people in harm's way like this 
Hope they get some new safety rules in place ASAP 
anyway, it's time for some real change.
... I mean, what's up with requiring two exits in every basement apartment? That's just gonna make them more expensive to build, right? And sprinklers? What if the pipes burst during a fire? Isn't that like the opposite of what you want?
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