Overview
- The incident occurred Sunday at Mariner Cay in Martin County when a dock-to-boat ramp failed, dropping a man in his 30s and his 230-pound electric wheelchair into roughly 8 to 10 feet of water.
- Bystanders, including the man's father, kept his face above the surface until first responders arrived, according to body-camera video and officials.
- Marine Unit Deputy Mark Appler reached the scene first and tried to stabilize and tow the wheelchair before stopping when the harness began to restrict the man's breathing.
- Deputy Sam Oliver entered the water, responders unstrapped the nonverbal man from the chair, used a life vest and a fire-rescue backboard, and Oliver swam him to shore.
- The sheriff's office says the man sustained only scrapes and bruises and that the response will be reviewed with the marine unit to capture lessons learned, with support on scene from Martin County Fire Rescue and Sea Tow.