Officer, K9 hailed as ‘Top Cops’ after winter rescue in Old Brookville

A Nassau County police officer and his K9 partner are being recognized as “Top Cops” after rescuing a woman with dementia in freezing conditions.

Officials say their quick actions likely saved her life.

Officer Jack Castronova and his K9 partner, EJ, received citations from the Nassau County Legislature on Monday for their role in the December rescue.

“We put in endless hours of training every day,” Castronova said. “It might just seem to him like endless games of hide and seek, but we see that there’s real value in what he does for the department and Nassau County.”

The incident unfolded just before 8 p.m. on Dec. 21 in Old Brookville, when Castronova and EJ responded to a report of a missing woman suffering from dementia. She had been unaccounted for about 90 minutes in dangerously cold weather.

With time working against them, Castronova deployed EJ, who quickly picked up a scent and led the search off the property and beyond a fence.

Following the K9’s lead, Castronova was guided to an unheated horse barn on a neighboring property.

Inside, he found the woman cold, disoriented and showing signs of hypothermia.

“People need to realize that the dog is the officer’s partner,” Nassau PBA President Tommy Shevlin said at Monday’s legislative meeting in Mineola. “He’s not just a good-looking dog, he’s a police officer.”

Castronova stayed with the woman, offering reassurance and helping keep her responsive until emergency medical personnel arrived. She was transported to a hospital for further evaluation.

“They saved a life working together,” Shevlin added.

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Officer Jack Castronova and his K9 partner, EJ, with county lawmakers Monday in Mineola. (Credit: Andrew Rappaport/GLI)