Indian River County - Thursday September 7, 2023: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation officers rescued two boat operators last Sunday who were struggling in rough seas off the Sebastian Inlet State Park.
The officers responded about 5 p.m. to reports that rough seas caused the operators of two separate personal watercraft (PWC) to be thrown from their PWCs.
According to a news release from FWC, one of the operators was in the water and drifting away from his PWC. The other operator attempted to rescue him but he too was thrown from his PWC by the rough seas.
The two were about 100 yards from shore. They held onto each other as they drifted down the coast.
FWC Officers Mike Hopkins, Matt St. Martin, Mekenzie Rivard, Richard Maroquin, Cole Delano, Sean Gaudion and Zach Ricciuti worked together to organize the rescue effort.
Officers Delano and Gaudion stripped off their gear and entered the ocean from the beach, fighting the waves until they were able to reach both individuals. Each officer rescued one individual by swimming them back to shore through the breaking waves. Once onshore, the boaters were transported to an area hospital where they are both expected to make a full recovery.
“Our officers were there in a matter of minutes,” said Maj. Jay Russel, NE Regional Commander. “They used their extensive training and survival skills to keep the victims calm and bring them to safety.”