Several people in Florida came together to help save a man in a motorised wheelchair after he fell into a river while trying to get on a boat. Concerned bystanders and some police deputies rescued the man.
Sheriff’s deputies save man in wheelchair from drowning
Deputies in Florida, alongside other individuals jointly saved a man in a wheelchair after he fell into the Manatee Pocket. The man was in a motorised wheelchair and got stuck after he plunged into the water.
According to reports, the man’s father was trying to help him get into a boat via a ramp when another boat came. The weight of the other boat caused the boat to rock and the ramp to fall, which led to the man’s fall.
Before the deputies arrived, some men had already fastened some ropes to hold the man above the water level. When they arrived, they jumped into the water and began efforts to save the man from drowning. The man is in his 30s and also cannot communicate verbally.
Nevertheless, the man suffered some minor cuts and bruises due to the accident, and in the process of getting him to safety. The wheelchair was a major hindrance because he was strapped to it, and it weighed about 230 pounds.
The deputies and concerned people who tried to save the man initially wanted to raise him back on the boat, but could not. Then they decided to remove the man from the wheelchair and get him out of the water.
“We lifted him up, and then we started realizing that the top harness that he had was still holding him in, and then started to kind of choke him a little bit. So we lowered him back to the water level to reassess our next approach,” said Deputy Mark Appler.
However, the man was removed from the chair, and rescuers used a life jacket to keep him buoyant. People also grabbed the wheelchair to prevent it from sinking. The water was about 8 to 10 feet deep.
A collective effort brought both the man and his wheelchair to safety.
Deputy praises collective effort in saving man
Deputy Mark Appler commended the efforts of individuals who came together to help save the man. The collective efforts ensured that the man did not drown.
Additionally, he noted the importance of disaster response and preparation. He highlighted this because people never know when tragedy might happen.
“We don’t plan for them and being the fact that there was bystanders there and civilians and other workers and the dock master over there at Mariner Cay all jumped in really helped the situation, but just always be prepared because you never know what’s going to happen,” he said.