A morning on Lake Woodruff turned into an all-hands rescue effort after a 56-year-old fisherman suffered a medical emergency aboard a pontoon boat. The Volusia Sheriff’s Office says dispatchers, deputies, Air One personnel, EMS crews, and even a Good Samaritan with a boat all became part of the attempt to reach him.
The emergency call came in at approximately 6:45 a.m. from the lake near Astor, Florida. While a VSO dispatcher talked the caller through CPR, the sheriff’s helicopter launched and began searching for the pontoon from above.
Once Air One located the boat, Flight Paramedic Matt Brunelle did not exactly have the luxury of waiting for a dock. Brunelle jumped from the helicopter directly into Lake Woodruff and made his way to the pontoon, becoming the first responder to reach the fisherman.
Unfortunately, the extraordinary response did not end the way anyone involved wanted it to. Despite continued CPR and extensive lifesaving efforts all the way back to shore and the hospital, the sheriff’s office said the fisherman did not survive.
Getting Help to the Middle of the Lake
Please give the following video a moment to load completely.
Brunelle’s arrival was only one part of a rescue operation that had to solve the immediate problem of getting more responders onto a boat sitting out on the water. Back on land, patrol deputies encountered a Good Samaritan who agreed to use his own boat to take them toward the emergency.
Air One then guided the civilian boat and deputies directly to the pontoon. Once aboard, deputies continued CPR while Brunelle took control of the vessel and began driving it toward land, where an ambulance could be reached.
EMS personnel were also dispatched onto the water and eventually took over the lifesaving measures. From the initial CPR instructions over the phone to the helicopter, private boat, deputies, paramedic, and EMS crew, responders essentially built a rescue chain across the lake.
Every Available Option Was Used
The geography of the emergency made an already serious medical call considerably more complicated. An ambulance could not simply pull alongside the pontoon, meaning responders had to locate the boat, physically reach it, and then work on moving the patient back toward shore while treatment continued.
The sheriff’s office said it had hoped to share the story as a successful lifesaving rescue. Instead, the agency offered condolences to the fisherman’s family, friends, and loved ones while emphasizing that everyone involved had done everything possible to give him a chance.
There is also something worth recognizing about the Good Samaritan who happened to have the one piece of equipment deputies desperately needed at that moment. When officers needed a way onto the lake, he simply agreed to take them, helping turn his personal boat into part of an emergency response.
Commenters Praised Everyone Who Tried To Save Him
The tragic ending clearly weighed on commenters, but many focused on just how far rescuers went in their attempt to save the fisherman. One person called Brunelle a “hero” for jumping into water where alligators and venomous snakes could be present, while another said everyone involved deserved recognition for going “above and beyond.”
Others highlighted how many different people had to work together before rescuers could even reach the patient. One commenter praised the dispatcher for keeping CPR in progress and helping determine the boat’s location, while another thanked the civilian who volunteered his boat to transport deputies onto the lake.
Several people also offered condolences to the fisherman’s family, acknowledging that even an extraordinary response cannot always change the outcome. As one commenter put it, responders “gave their ALL,” and another said the coordinated effort showed there are still people willing to come together and find a solution when somebody desperately needs help.