DE LEON SPRINGS, Fla. (CBS12) — A frantic 911 call early Sunday morning set off a race against time on Lake Woodruff, as dispatchers, deputies, paramedics, a helicopter crew, and a Good Samaritan worked together to save a fisherman who suffered a medical emergency on the water.
The Volusia Sheriff’s Office say the 56-year-old Astor man collapsed aboard a pontoon boat around 6:45 a.m.
With the emergency unfolding on the lake, a VSO dispatcher immediately began giving the caller CPR instructions while Air One lifted off and headed toward the scene.
From above, deputies say the helicopter crew spotted the pontoon boat.
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Flight Paramedic Matt Brunelle reportedly jumped from Air One into the lake, becoming the first emergency responder to reach the fisherman.
On shore, patrol deputies reportedly encountered a man with his own boat who offered to help. Air One guided the Good Samaritan and deputies to the pontoon, where they climbed aboard and continued CPR.
Brunelle then made his way toward shore to meet an ambulance while the rescue effort continued.
EMS personnel soon arrived on the water and took over life-saving measures, continuing their efforts as the man was brought back to shore for transport to a hospital.
Despite the extensive efforts from everyone involved, the 56-year-old man could not be revived.
The sheriff’s office said the outcome was not what responders had hoped for, but every person involved in the call did their best to give the fisherman a chance.
The agency extended its condolences to the man’s family, friends, and loved ones.