Russian Student Injured by Beach Patrol Vehicle

WILDWOOD — Irina Siborenko, a Russian student spending her summer working and living in this city, suffered severe abrasions and bruising after a Wildwood Beach Patrol vehi-cle rolled on top of her while she was sunbathing on the Roberts Avenue beach June 11.
Siborenko was treated at Cape Regional Medical Center for abrasions and heavy bruising along the left side of her body and was released the same day. However, according to her friend and coworker Anetta Khaygsukhova, the injury left Siborenko embarrassed and un-able to work as a waitress for the Red Oak Buffet for at least a week.
“She has tire marks all over her arm and down her hip,” said Khaygsukhova. “She hasn’t been able to sleep, much less carry a tray.”
Siborenko did not want to comment on her injuries further after speaking with the Wild-wood Police Department.
Wildwood Beach Patrol Chief Lou Cirelli said that neither he nor any member of the beach patrol could comment on the incident. An Open Public Records Request was filed in order to obtain the official police report on the accident.
According to the report, the incident is considered an accident caused primarily due to Siborenko’s position in the blind spot of the driver.
Ryan Meyer, a supervisor for the Wildwood Beach Patrol, told investigating Police Officer Mark Damico he was driving the beach patrol pickup northbound, about midway between the waterline and the boardwalk, when he heard lifeguards call over the radio that things at the Roberts Avenue location were OK.
Meyer told police that nothing had come over the radio about an incident so he decided to stop by the Roberts Avenue to check on the situation. He told police that he turned the truck south and approached the lifeguard stand at the waterline, according to police reports.
Fellow lifeguard Michael Syrnick, who was manning that location, told Meyer that he had been assisting Alberto Quinteros and his grandchildren exit the water.
Meyer told police that after he talked with Syrnick, he let his foot off the brake and began idling forward, turning west toward the boardwalk, when Quinteros and surrounding sun-bathers yelled for him to stop.
Meyer, according to the police report, said that he got out of the truck and saw Siborenko lying underneath the vehicle on her stomach.
Siborenko, who was lying to the right of the truck, had said she was unaware of any activity around her or the truck pulling up near her because she was sleeping.
The report states that Meyer, Syrnick and Quinteros helped Siborenko out from under-neath the truck, where she was transported to the Schellenger Avenue beach patrol aid sta-tion and then to Cape Regional Medical Center.
Contact Suit at: (609) 886-8600 ext. 25 or lsuit@cmcherald.com