STUART, Fla. (CBS12) — A wheelchair-bound man plunged into the water at Mariner Cay Saturday—but quick-thinking deputies, a Sea Tow captain, and bystanders saved him.
Deputies with the Martin County Sheriff’s Office say they were called after a wheelchair-bound man fell into the water when the ramp connecting a dock to his boat suddenly collapsed. The man remained in his wheelchair as he slipped into the water.
Two bystanders rushed to help, holding the wheelchair steady and keeping the man’s face above water as he began to slip. Marine Unit Deputy Mark Appler and a Sea Tow captain arrived first and worked to stabilize the chair.
Deputy Appler secured a rope to hold it in place while additional deputies responded, per MCSO.
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Deputy Sam Oliver entered the water to assist, and with the man continuing to slip from the chair, deputies decided to disconnect him and swim him safely to shore. Using a life preserver, Deputy Oliver brought the man to safety, where he received medical attention.
Thanks to the teamwork and quick thinking of the bystanders, deputies say the Sea Tow captain and deputies, the man suffered only minor injuries.