Local
Jacksonville firefighter and bystander bring three boaters ashore after Big Talbot capsize
Off-duty JFRD firefighter Otto Scherick swam to three people clinging to an overturned boat near Big Talbot Island and helped guide them to shore. They were rescued within 27 minutes of the first emergency call, with no injuries reported.
Three boaters were brought safely to shore Saturday after their vessel capsized off Big Talbot Island, with an off-duty Jacksonville firefighter and a bystander swimming out to help them.
Otto Scherick, a Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department firefighter, was walking a beach trail with his girlfriend for her birthday when he heard people shouting for help. He ran to the shoreline and saw three people waving from the overturned boat, JFRD said.
The boaters were estimated to be as far as 800 yards offshore. Scherick assessed the current and conditions and decided the safest option was to swim back to land. The boat had no life jackets, so he detached its gas tank to use as flotation. A bystander swam out and accompanied the group throughout the return.
The first emergency call came in at about 10:47 a.m. By 11:14 a.m., all three boaters were on shore, where JFRD Engine 66’s C-shift crew met them. No injuries were reported.
Fire Chief Percy Golden II praised Scherick for responding despite having no radio or rescue equipment with him, saying his training and judgment helped bring the boaters to safety.
JFRD advises boaters to wear life jackets whenever they are on the water. Anyone who sees a person in distress should call 911 and, if possible, throw them something that floats. The department says people should enter the water to help only if they are trained to do so.