Nation & World | Injured rescuer sues family | Seattle Times Newspaper

Injured rescuer sues family
By The Associated Press



Richard Cosmillo holds his grandson, Joey Cosmillo, who is profoundly disabled after nearly drowning in the family pool. One of Joey's rescuers is suing the family over injuries she suffered.
CASSELBERRY, Fla. â?? A police officer who slipped and injured a knee during a rescue call has sued the family that phoned 911 after their 1-year-old boy nearly drowned.

The child, Joey Cosmillo, now almost 23 months old, fell into the family pool in January. He was resuscitated but suffered severe brain damage and can't walk, talk or swallow. He lives in a nursing home and eats and breathes through tubes.

Police Sgt. Andrea Eichhorn alleges the boy's family left a puddle of water on the floor, causing her fall during the rescue effort. She broke a knee and missed two months of work.

Eichhorn's attorney, David Heil, said she has persistent knee pain and will likely develop arthritis. He said city benefits paid by workers' compensation and some disability checks helped with medical bills, but it wasn't enough.

"It's a situation where the Cosmillos have caused these problems, brought them on themselves, then tried to play the victim," Heil said.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.

"The loss we've suffered, and she's seeking money?" said Richard Cosmillo, 69, the boy's grandfather who lived in the home with his wife and the boy's mother. "Of course there's going to be water in the house. He was sopping wet when we brought him in."

Eichhorn's suit named Cosmillo; his wife, Maggie, and the boy's mother, Angela Cosmillo, accusing them of negligence. They were careless, according to the suit, and allowed the home they shared to become unsafe.

Eichhorn's personnel file includes numerous commendations. The 12-year veteran has worked as a hostage negotiator and prostitution decoy, and wrestled razors away from a suicidal person.
BabySnookums Reviewed by BabySnookums on . this just pisses me off >< Nation & World | Injured rescuer sues family | Seattle Times Newspaper Injured rescuer sues family By The Associated Press Richard Cosmillo holds his grandson, Joey Cosmillo, who is profoundly disabled after nearly drowning in the family pool. One of Joey's rescuers is suing the family over injuries she suffered. CASSELBERRY, Fla. â?? A police officer who slipped and injured a knee during a rescue call has sued the family that phoned 911 after their 1-year-old boy nearly drowned. Rating: 5