WATCH: Brevard County Sheriff’s Aviation Unit Teams With Indian River County Sheriff’s Office to Save 84-Year Old Man

PUBLIC SERVICE SPOTLIGHT

WATCH: Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Chief Pilot Coppola assembled a team consisting of Deputy Nick Jones for Navigation, Aviation Mechanic Mike Ryle and Deputy Pilot Steve Lyon as Hoist Operators, and Brevard County Fire Rescue Medic Logan Boswell to assist the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office regarding one of their citizens who had ventured out to take photographs at the Fort Drum Marsh area. (BCSO video)

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – “Together, we can do great things.” This simple quote has so much meaning. I am beyond proud of our Agency members, Brevard County Fire Rescue, and the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office, for their incredible teamwork, which led to the safe recovery of an 84-year-old Indian River County citizen.

Early Monday morning Chief Pilot John Coppola received a request for assistance from the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office regarding one of their citizens, who had ventured out to take photographs at the Fort Drum Marsh area yesterday evening, and had unfortunately lost his way and ultimately became disoriented.

Deputies from IRCSO attempted to locate the citizen utilizing drones and ground searches. However, due to the thick brush and the victim’s location, it took several hours before he was found.

After multiple attempts to rescue him, IRCSO Sergeants Luke Keppel and David Flores eventually made their way to him around 3 a.m. but could not make their way back out in the night.

As a result of the request Chief Pilot Coppola assembled a team consisting of Deputy Nick Jones for Navigation, Aviation Mechanic Mike Ryle and Deputy Pilot Steve Lyon as Hoist Operators, and Brevard County Fire Rescue Medic Logan Boswell.

The crew quickly came together to assess the situation, develop an extraction plan, and rehearse the operation before taking off from Merritt Island.

Our Aviation Unit regularly trains with our partners at BCFR for situations such as this, and with our UH-1H Huey, we are able to assist not only Brevard County, but other agencies nearby with extractions from inaccessible locations, both on land and in water.

Just before sunrise, the crew located the victim and two Sergeants in the woods and went into action. Fire Medic Boswell was lowered to the ground, where he began to assess the victim’s condition, making sure he was able to be hoisted from the ground up into the Huey.

Ultimately, they determined he was able to be secured into what is called the “screamer suit,” and Aviation Mechanic Mike Ryle began hoisting him up into the helicopter. Once inside, he was flown to a nearby location where Indian River County’s Fire Rescue was waiting to provide the necessary care and transport him to a nearby hospital.

The team quickly returned to the area where Mike Ryle and Steve Lyon extracted both Sergeants out of the woods, and then returned once more to get Medic Boswell back on board before heading home.

Folks, every day I tell people how amazed I am at the incredible team of men and women of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, not only for their hard work and professionalism, but for their true passion and commitment to keeping everyone safe.

I want to thank our incredible Aviation Unit for an amazing job well done, BCFR for their unique skills and continued partnership with our Agency during times of need, and of course, to the members of the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office for locating the subject and keeping him safe and calm until all could safely be evacuated.

This right here is what happens when everyone works together with one goal…saving lives!

– Sheriff Wayne Ivey

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