VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – A Sunday morning fishing trip on Lake Woodruff turned into an urgent rescue mission after a 911 call reported that a 56-year-old man had gone into cardiac arrest on the water.
Footage released by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office captured a dramatic moment from the agency’s helicopter: flight paramedic Matt Brunelle leaping about 20 feet into the lake to get to the fisherman and his wife, who was already trying to keep him alive with CPR.
“I reach back here and close the door. Once I had the door closed, then I just kind of jumped forward into the water,” Brunelle said, describing the seconds before he entered the lake.
Brunelle said there was little time to weigh options. The fisherman needed emergency medical care immediately, and the couple was stranded far from easy access.
“So it was almost instant,” he said. “He needed assistance immediately—and her being by herself.”
According to Brunelle, waiting for ground crews to reach the scene by boat could have added roughly 20 to 25 minutes to the response.
The remote location of Lake Woodruff made the Volusia County rescue especially difficult. The nearest road access is still miles away from the lake and the network of surrounding waterways.
As the helicopter crew moved in, deputies on land located a Good Samaritan willing to use a boat to help. Deputies then made their way to the fisherman’s pontoon and continued CPR until EMS personnel arrived and took over the lifesaving effort.
.The fisherman was rushed to a hospital but ultimately did not survive. Volusia County Sheriff’s Office officials said their hearts go out to the fisherman’s wife, who was forced to perform CPR on her husband during the traumatic emergency.
Brunelle said everyone involved did everything they could to give the fisherman a chance.
“We don’t need any gratuity. We just do it,” Deputy Jevon Gardner said. “But when there’s somebody out there who’s willing to do the same thing for us, it’s probably one of the best feelings, because a lot of people don’t.”
The sheriff’s office said the response involved multiple agencies and a Good Samaritan who stepped in to help when it mattered most.
News 6 reached out to the Good Samaritan who assisted deputies and is waiting to hear back.
The investigation into what caused the medical emergency continues.
