We frequently connect heroic behavior with members of the armed forces, law enforcement, and firefighters, but not all heroes look like that.
Hanna Pignato, 19, an employee at Joe’s Crab Shack in Daytona Beach, claims she noticed a group of people in distress when she was at work on the rooftop deck on Saturday.
Hanna heard what sounded like a woman crying from the beach below, as well as the sound of people yelling out in panic.
It didn’t take long to figure out that the woman who was yelling was a worried parent whose young child was swept away by a powerful rip tide.
Hanna Pignato recalled: “I saw the mom screaming and crying. Just hearing her wail terrified me. Then I saw the little boy … his head just kept going down.”
When Hanna peered down from the pier that belonged to the restaurant, she noticed that no one was truly attempting to save the youngster.
Fortuitously, Hanna is an accomplished swimmer and surfer, which came in very handy during this ordeal. The waitress, who was nineteen years old at the time, took off her shoes and jumped from the pier without any hesitation.
According to WESH, Pignato’s backbones and the bones in her right foot were quickly shattered when she jumped into the water because she hit a sandbar when she was diving in.
This incredible young lady persevered through excruciating discomfort and pain as she swam closer and closer to the helpless young kid.
“I didn’t want the baby to die. He wasn’t a baby, he was 7 years old, 8 years old, but still I mean, that’s a human life — you just can’t look at that and walk away”
The next thing she remembered, a bystander was caring to her back on shore and attempting to calm her down.
The youngster was pulled to safety by onlookers and a lifeguard, while Hanna was rescued by another.
The waitress stated she does not regret what she did, but she is aware that the severity of her wounds could have been far more severe.
According to Heather Pignato, Hanna’s mother, the fall from the pier caused three separate fractures to her right foot.
The mom said: “She had surgery on her foot this morning. I’m just glad she won’t need surgery on her back.”
Hanna does not have health insurance, and she is required to spend the next two months in bed.
During her time of recovery, her loved ones have started a GoFundMe campaign in order to assist her with the financial burden of her medical expenses.
Heather Pignato expressed her pride in her daughter, saying that despite the fact that her daughter suffered serious injuries, she is proud of her since she had good action.
Heather Pignato said: “She kept saying ‘I’m sorry, don’t be mad at me’ and I said ‘Hanna, you tried to save someone.’”
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