ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — Two people were rescued from the Intracoastal Waterway on July 1 after their small motorized boat began taking on water and sank.
The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office said its Marine Unit deputies responded on Wednesday to reports of a vessel becoming submerged in the Intracoastal Waterway. The boat’s two occupants entered the water as the vessel sank but remained afloat while wearing life jackets.
Body-worn camera video released by the sheriff’s office shows deputies arriving alongside the partially submerged boat and immediately checking on the occupants.
“You guys all right?” a deputy asked.
You guys all right though?”
After determining the pair were safe, the sheriff’s office said deputies worked to bring them aboard their patrol vessel while also helping recover personal belongings from the sinking boat.
“It will float. I mean, let’s get you out, and then we got a boat hook. We’ll start snatching stuff up,” one deputy told the occupants.
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The video also captured one boater expressing gratitude to the responding deputies, saying:
I appreciate it.”
Marine Unit deputies safely rescued both people from the water and transported them back to a nearby boat ramp. No injuries were reported, according to SLCSO.
The sheriff’s office said the incident serves as an important reminder of the importance of wearing life jackets while boating.
“We’re grateful this call ended safely and proud of the swift response by our Marine Unit deputies who are always ready to answer the call,” the agency said in a social media post.
The cause of the sinking was not immediately released. The body-worn camera footage was redacted in accordance with Florida public records laws, officials said.