Fish Survive Sandy in Seaford Pool

A Seaford family got quite the surprise in their swimming pool this past weekend.

Martha Paczkowski said she and her husband were looking at their pool that had collapsed during Hurricane Sandy last fall when the couple's 14-year old son TJ noticed fish swimming at the bottom. Paczkowski said the Killies that are often seen swimming in the canal waters off Seaford Harbor made their way into the pool during the Oct. 29 superstom and somehow survived the next eight months.

“Because of the condition of the pool, the lack of pool water and chemicals that are normally in there, the pool is full of algae and the tarp cover is in there providing the perfect cover for them, said Paczkowski of how the fish managed to survive. “My son has caught eight already.”

The Paczkowskis reside two blocks south of Merrick Road on Tiana Street, which like much of the Seaford Harbor area, suffered major flooding during Sandy. She said it won’t be known if there are more fish until the tarp is taken off of their 24,000-gallon pool.

“It’s a big job my husband isn't looking forward to doing,” she joked.

The fish discovery has proved to be a bright spot for the Paczkowskis, who have been unable to use the pool since the damage caused by Sandy.

"Finding the fish has been the only thing about the pool to make my son smile since the storm," Paczkowski said. "This pool was beautiful."