“He said, ‘I’m exhausted, I’m tired,’ and I said, ‘Do it! Get on your back and let the waves carry you, you can do it, come on’,” Belinda told WPBF 25 News.
Police have identified the man as 64-year-old Jesse Ellis, suspected of shooting his estranged wife, Stacie Mason, and Danny Ooley. Both were employees of the Indian River County Public Works Department.
Jessie Ellis after he was saved from drowning. Photo / Vero Beach Police Department
Footage released by police showed Belinda helping Ellis on the sand after he reached shore.
He told her he would never go out that far again and that he planned to “take a long vacation”, said Belinda, who had no idea who he was or what he was alleged to have done.
Vero Beach police chief David Currey said Ellis told people on the beach he had “a cramp” in the water and “that he was okay”, reported WPTV.
During a press conference, WPTV reported, Currey showed footage of Ellis walking down the beach three hours later.
Jesse Ellis allegedly killed his estranged wife the day he was saved. Photo / Indian River County
He said police located Ellis’ truck in a carpark nearby with wet clothes and a diary describing his mental distress.
Currey said the diary detailed “the pain that he was in, couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat, wished he could have done something better. He wanted to crawl up in a hole”.
Police are still searching for Ellis.
Belinda said while she could not have left someone to drown, she would have called 911 immediately had she known he was suspected of murder, reported WPBF 25 News.
“I could not leave him in the water no matter what,” Belinda said. “Everybody is going through something.”