VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — A 56-year-old fisherman in cardiac arrest was rescued from Lake Woodruff after his wife called 911 and began CPR.
Video from a Volusia County Sheriff’s Office helicopter shows Flight Paramedic Matt Brunelle jumping about 20 feet from the aircraft into the lake to reach the fisherman and assist with the rescue on Aug. 23.
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“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 told ClickOnOrlando.
Brunelle said he made the decision to jump because the fisherman needed immediate medical care and ground responders could have taken 20 to 25 minutes to reach the couple by boat.
Lake Woodruff’s remote location hindered the rescue, with the nearest roadway access miles from the lake and surrounding waterways.
Deputies used a good Samaritan’s boat to reach the fisherman and continued CPR until EMS took over. The man was transported to a hospital but did not survive.
The sheriff’s office expressed condolences to the fisherman’s wife, who performed CPR on her husband during the emergency.
The sheriff’s office said the response involved multiple agencies and a good Samaritan who provided a boat to help rescuers reach the fisherman.
