Celebrity chef honors Margate first-responders for saving 3-year-old

Celebrity Chef Robert Irvine held a thank you luncheon at the Bloom Pavilion Thursday afternoon for Margate's first responders in gratitude for their efforts saving the life of a 3-year-old child who fell into a pool.

“I am extremely proud of our officers,” Police Chief Matthew Hankinson said. “It’s the Fourth of July and thankfully, we are here celebrating what could have been a very tragic situation.”

Margate Police, Fire and Beach Patrol personnel were treated to a sumptuous luncheon cooked up by CulinAriane Caterers, which often works with the Robert Irvine Foundation on its Breaking Bread with Heroes campaign at locations around the region. The program gives first responders the opportunity to have a great meal in a casual setting along with the opportunity to talk, listen and share around a family table.

“This is our way of thanking them for their service,” Irvine said. “We provide lunches twice a week for 300 to 3,000 people somewhere in the world, including for our military heroes overseas.”

A world class chef and entrepreneur, Irvine, of the Food Network’s Dinner Impossible and Restaurant Impossible fame, said he recently took 68 veterans to Normandy for the 60th anniversary of D-Day.

“What those guys did for us should never be forgotten. I’m a military guy – Special Forces for 24 years – and I’m all about the military and first responders, especially with all the wokeness going around today. But they are the first ones we call when we need them, and they always show up within minutes to help us.”

The Robert Irvine Foundation created in 2014 gives back to the military and first responder communities through its wellness campaign, as well as offering grants and financial support to military and first responder organizations.

Margate police were on the scene within minutes when a member of Irvine’s team needed them most.

Just weeks ago, Justin Leonard of Huntington Valley, Pa., the foundation’s chief operating officer, was at a Father’s Day party with about 30 people at his mother’s beach home in Margate when his 3-year-old son fell into the pool.

“It was a drowning situation. We were able to get him out of the pool and immediately called 911,” Leonard said. “Their response time was incredible, and they got there within a minute or two, hopping over the fence to get to us.”

Hankinson said Dispatcher Kelly Ferrier coached Leonard’s sister, Lindsey Abramowitz, who immediately started CPR when the child was pulled from the pool.

Her father, Marc Leonard, said his daughter used the skills she learned at a class held the Milton & Betty Katz JCC to perform CPR until police arrived.

The first officer on scene was Ptl. Jim Costa who took over CPR and revived the child.

“They don’t hesitate for a second. They respond by reflex, and they stayed there to comfort everybody while my grandson was being taken to the hospital,” said the elder Leonard who lives in Ventnor. “Their quick response truly was a miracle.”

Hankinson said the entire shift responded to the home, and members of the Fire Department, including Firefighters and Certified EMTs Natalie Carlucci and Chris Paisley, took over care of the child and transported him to Atlantic City Medical Center City Division. Later that evening, the child was taken to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where doctors told Justin Leonard and his wife Erica that their son was “out of the woods.”

“They kept him for two days just to keep an eye on him,” Justin Leonard said.

A few days after the incident, Sgt. Jessica Fane contacted the Leonards to find out if their son was ok, and that’s when Leonard said the Irvine Foundation was so grateful for their heroic efforts that they wanted to treat the first responders to lunch.

“I told Jessica that this is Robert’s mission – to honor first responders,” Leonard said. “I knew Robert would be in town staying with me for the holiday weekend and we offered to do this luncheon as part of our Breaking Bread with Heroes program.”

Members of the Police and Fire departments and the Beach Patrol, including those able to get a break from duty on the extremely busy holiday, enjoyed a holiday inspired lunch menu of ribs, crab cakes and spiced teriyaki flank steak. Each received a Robert Irvine Foundation duffle bag, their choice of T-shirts and a reusable water bottle.

“This is better than we would have had eating a sub in our patrol car,” Costa said.

Mayor Michael Collins and Commissioner of Public Safety Cathy Horn attended the luncheon.

“Summers are crazy at the shore, but this story shows everyone how quickly we can respond to police and fire emergencies,” Collins said. “I think we have the quickest response times of any town in the country, and it’s great to see our first responders appreciated.”

Irvine, who in the 1990s was executive sous chef at the Trump Taj Mahal and later worked at Ceasar’s Atlantic City and the Tropicana, said he will soon have a new venture with CBS to add to his lineup of Impossible TV shows.

“I can’t speak about it now, but it will be announced soon,” he said.