Two Long Island men who miraculously survived horrific crashes got the chance to do something most never can—personally thank the heroes who saved their lives.

At Northwell Health’s annual EMS Heroes Night, held at East Islip’s Irish Coffee Pub, the atmosphere was charged with emotion as Alexander Wisniewski, 19, and Anthony Dees, 33, reunited with the first responders who pulled them from the wreckage and gave them a second chance at life.

For Wisniewski, the nightmare unfolded in January 2024. Driving a high-performance purple BMW M5 along the winding Old Commack Road, he lost control and crashed into a tree. The car exploded into flames.

“I was stuck in the car unconscious. I had severe brain trauma and bleeding,” said Wisniewski, a former elite soccer player training with clubs in Germany’s Bundesliga. “Realistically, I shouldn’t be alive.”

But in what he calls divine timing, paramedic Michael Mancino and two good Samaritan sanitation workers happened to be passing by. Acting fast, the three used fire extinguishers to hold back the flames until the fire department arrived to cut him free.

“The car was in three pieces,” Mancino recalled. “I didn’t think he was going to survive.”

Now, just months later, Wisniewski has made a miraculous recovery and will return to the soccer field this fall at Florida Atlantic University. Choking back emotion, he finally got to look Mancino in the eyes and say, “Thank you.”

“They were God’s angels that day,” Wisniewski said. “It’s been a long few months, but I owe Michael and the others my entire life.”

Irene Macyk, president of South Shore University Hospital where Wisniewski was treated, called the reunion a powerful reminder of what health care and emergency response teams live for. “There is no prouder moment than seeing someone return to life after such trauma.”

Also honored that night was Anthony Dees, who survived a devastating motorcycle crash in June 2023. Hit by a vehicle turning out of a doctor’s office, Dees suffered a collapsed lung, shattered bones, ruptured spleen, and traumatic brain injuries.

“People were saying I was dead on the scene,” Dees said.

After receiving 10 pints of blood and enduring months of rehab, Dees can now walk with a cane and hopes to return to work as a mechanic soon.

“I wanted to cry and say thank you so much,” Dees said after embracing the Bay Shore EMS crew. “If I could get down on my knees, I would.”

Though their roads to recovery were long and painful, both Wisniewski and Dees say their faith—and the selfless actions of strangers—brought them through the darkness.

“I can’t wait to score my first goal after this,” Wisniewski said, beaming.

For these survivors, their rescue stories are more than just tales of survival—they’re testimonies of divine timing, answered prayers, and the quiet heroes who reflect God’s love in the moments that matter most.