Jogger who helped in Breakheart rescue attempt says he’s no hero

SAUGUS – Joseph Calabrese Jr. said he doesn’t think he’s a hero after helping Saugus firefighters pull a man out of Pearce Lake at Breakheart Reservation Sunday evening.”There’s nothing heroic here,” said Calabrese, of Wakefield. “All I did was pluck the guy out of the bottom and bring him to the surface. I wish I was a hero. All I did was jump in.”Luis C. Espinoza, 34, of Medford, was later pronounced dead after he was taken to Melrose-Wakefield Hospital, according to Steve O’Connell, spokesman for the Essex County District Attorney’s office.O’Connell said Espinoza drowned while trying to swim to two friends from one large rock to another about 50 to 75 yards away.Calabrese, 41, said he was jogging along a trail that skirts the lake when he saw lights flashing and heard sirens. At that point, Calabrese said it became clear something was wrong.After making his way to a clearing opposite the beach, Calabrese said a man who was standing there told him that somebody went down in the water and pointed to the area.At the same time, Calabrese said firefighters were gearing up the rubber raft to get to Espinoza.”I hesitated but I really shouldn’t have,” said Calabrese. “I should have just jumped into the water. I thought, ‘OK, I’m not an authority here, these men are professionals.’ But at the same time I’m an excellent swimmer and I’m already in my shorts. I was all set to go.”Calabrese, who worked as a lifeguard at Breakheart in high school and college, asked firefighters if he could go in and get him.”They’re thinking, they don’t know me from Adam,” said Calabrese. “They don’t want to worry about two guys. They told me to stay put, but when they made it over to where he was, they said, ‘I see him. I see him.’ So at that point I jumped in ? The number one thought in my mind was, ‘Get him out of the water right now.'”Calabrese said after he brought Espinoza to the surface, one of the firefighters jumped into the water, and they brought him to shore and then into the raft.”I wished the guys good luck because I knew the guys were going to try to revive him,” said Calabrese. “I really thought he was dead at that point.”Calabrese, who works as an artist/illustrator, said he was thinking about going for a swim prior to the incident but decided not to because he didn’t want to leave his cell phone unattended on the shore.”I’ve been obsessing about if I was there maybe that would have made a difference ?” said Calabrese. “I actually thought there was hope at one point because a friend sent me a link saying he was in critical condition ? I don’t know anything about him. It’s really a shame. I feel bad for his family.”Calabrese acknowledged that he ignored firefighters who told him not to go in, but said it “seemed like the right thing to do at the time.””I don’t think they liked that,” said Calabrese. “Obviously if it was a burning building, it would have been a different story and I wouldn’t have done a damn thing. I just wanted the guy out of the water.”Fire Capt. Thomas Nolan declined to comment on the situation, but said “everybody did the best they could.”Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].