NEAR FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WSVN) — Newly released video shows Broward County Sheriff’s Office deputies racing to respond to a fatal airboat crash in the Everglades, miles away from land.

Rescue crews responded to reports of two airboats colliding 14 miles southwest of Mile Marker 41 on the evening of Oct. 2.

“This was way out there in rural area, hard to access area,” said Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue Lt. Danny Gans.

Two men were injured in the crash.

One of them, Alessandro Borgo, did not survive.

“Once I got on the ground, I found out we had one patient deceased on scene, and the other was, we call it a Level 1 Trauma,” said Gans.

Rescue came from the air and water to reach those injured. BSO Marine Patrol, Aviation Unit and other crews collaborated to locate the crash site and begin life-saving efforts.

“Once I was lowered onto our airboat, I was able to jump over to another airboat where the patient was at,” said Gans.

First responders hoisted the injured survivor into a helicopter and rushed him to an area hospital. Deputies said he is expected to make a full recovery.

“We had to do a ‘hot seat,’ it’s called. So, I wrapped him up, I did some patient care on the ground,” Gans said. “And then, once I was ready for extraction, I was just waving to the aircraft, ‘I’m ready for extraction,’ and we both were lifted up to the aircraft, and then once we were in the aircraft, we made our way to Memorial Regional Hospital.”

When they aren’t answering calls, air rescue crews train for hoist operations one day each week.

“And we hold pretty much here, right?” Gans said in a demonstration. “And we’re hooked up. And then the hoist operator would be sitting here.”

The cause of this accident remains under investigation by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

BSO said this rescue operation shows how mutual training and partnership between the departments provide value and life-saving assistance to Broward residents.

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