Crime & Safety

Near-Drowning Victim Was 'Hanging on By His Fingertips'

Local doctor saves victim and calls the incident part of God's plan.

Local orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Louis Iorio of The Orthopaedic Group, said that the found in Saturday night, was literally, “hanging on by his fingertips” when he and his boating party pulled into their slip just before 11 p.m. “All you could see was his fingertips holding on [to the dock],” said Iorio. “The fact that they saw him was a miracle.”

Louis Collins, 49, who has no known address, was found near death according to Branford Police on Saturday night as he clung to the dock of Dutch Wharf Marina. Branford officer, Joseph Peterson, who investigated the incident, said that Collins had been in the water for at least a couple of hours. “He was cold, wet and certainly hypothermic.” Peterson continued, “If it wasn’t for the fast actions of Dr. Iorio, Mr. Collins could have lost his life.”

Iorio said that Collins, who could barely speak and didn’t even have the energy to move his extremities, would most likely not have been saved because he was in a remote part of the marina and it was so late at night. Iorio added that Collins was in such a bad state that he could not yell for help.

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Realizing that Collins was intoxicated right away and unable to pull himself out of the water, Iorio, with the help of fellow boater, Dr. Anthony Mongillo, pulled Collins on the dock by his clothing. Iorio simultaneously instructed his son Anthony Iorio to call the police.

Upon rescuing Collins from the water, Iorio learned that the victim had been sitting on the dock in a chair when he fell into the water earlier in the evening. He was hanging onto the dock in about 10 feet of water until Iorio and his crew came along. Mongillo’s wife Kathy Mongillo, said Iorio, was the one who noticed the fingers on the dock and alerted the crew.

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After Branford Police arrived on scene, Collins was treated and transported to an area medical facility.

Collins is one of several recent near-drowning/drowning incidents that has taken place over the summer, most recently the that left one man dead. As far as the Collins experience is concerned, Iorio said, “It was as about as 'near' as it gets.”

A boater for 10 to 11 years, Iorio said this has never happened to him before.“God always has a plan,” said Iorio, “and sometimes we are part of that plan.”


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