MARATHON, Fla. (WFLA) — A man was saved after officers discovered him holding onto his capsized kayak with “his head barely above water,” according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
The man was not wearing a life jacket and was found on July 19 about a mile south of the Spanish Harbor Bridge in Marathon, according to officials.
Bodycam video showed one of the officers tossing a rope to the exhausted kayaker, shouting, “I’m going to throw this to you, alright?”
The man held onto the rope as the officer pulled him closer to the FWC boat. The officer then attempted to help him aboard by grabbing his hand, but the man was too exhausted.
“I’m not ready,” the kayaker said breathlessly.
Consequently, the officer walked the kayaker to the rear of the boat, allowing the man to climb on board safely. The officers then provided him with a life jacket, stressing the necessity of having safety equipment.
According to the FWC, drowning is the leading cause of death in boating accidents.
During a conversation with the officers on the boat, the kayaker explained that he had been caught in a rip current and had been paddling for at least 20 to 30 minutes.
“I started praying to God and then this guy showed up,” the kayaker said to the officer who saved him.
The officers mentioned that they were alerted to the man’s distress only because a driver noticed him in the water from the bridge and called for help.
“You’re one lucky S.O.B.,” an officer told the kayaker, who was uninjured.
