Allentown Morning Call

A local recommended the spot, so on Wednesday a group of cruise-ship vacationers headed to Cabbage Beach in Nassau, Bahamas, to spend a mellow day in the sun.

But the local failed to mention a small detail: The ocean there is notoriously rough and its waves tall and roguish.

That, coupled with a strong undercurrent, led to a nearly deadly situation for a New York boy. Luckily, a small crowd at the beach, including 16-year-old John Palencar of Allentown, sprang into action to save the drowning Leonardo Purchia.

Palencar saw the wave that overtook Leonardo, 5, as he played with his older brother in the sand. It rapidly carried him out to sea. Purchia’s mother and father both rushed toward their son only to be quickly overwhelmed and nearly dragged out themselves…
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