NOKOMIS, Fla. — A Michigan man rescued after he drove his car off the seawall and into the Intracoastal Waterway in Nokomis is thankful to be alive.
A bartender at a restaurant across the channel spotted the incident and drove over to pull him out of the sinking car. On Monday, that bartender and the officer who assisted are getting an important honor from Washington DC.
U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) recognized Officer Specialist Kelsey Dalton of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and Dominic Yacca, a bartender and former Marine, as "FL-17 MVPs."
Steube, who presented them with a letter, certificate, and a coin, said they had demonstrated "extraordinary bravery and selflessness, significantly impacting their community".
"I think it's important to give attention to what happened and that way we can recognize and I can recognize their service and their courage and their sacrifice and I think it's important for the community to see this type of stuff," Steube said.
The incident happened on December 16, 2023, near the Albee Bridge. Eric Peterson, then 69 years old, was in Venice on vacation and found himself trapped in his car, inside the intracoastal waterway after he had driven right into it when he confused it for part of a parking lot.
"I probably had, I don't know, maybe 6 inches of oxygen left," Peterson recalled.
Across the channel, Yacca, a former member of the US Marines, was bartending at the nearby "Pops Sunset Grill" and spotted the car going into the water. He immediately alerted some patrons to call 911 and drove over to help. As Officer Dalton arrived, Yacca jumped into the water and swam over to the sinking car to help pull Peterson out.
"I could hear him yelling and screaming and he smashed the window out with a baton that the conservation officer threw to him and then he was pulling stuff out of the car as I was trying to push through it because the car was straight up and down," Peterson said.
"At the very last second, I managed to get both arms out and he grabbed one arm and she grabbed the other and they pulled me out. My legs were still in the car, sunk underwater," he recounted.
That quick-thinking good Samaritan move is why the local congressman is honoring them as MVPs for their heroic, life-saving actions.
"No doubt someone was looking out for us that day," Yacca said.
"We are called to what we do in our professions and this job brought me to where Eric needed me to be that night and I am very, very grateful for that," Dalton added.
According to Steube, Dalton and Yacca will be presented with a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol. They will also be featured in Steube's weekly newsletter and were issued a Congressional certificate as a token of appreciation.
"Everyday Americans, everyday people are doing things to save other Americans because they see somebody in need and they react and bringing attention to that, I think, is important for not just the district but for the state and the country to see," Steube said.
Peterson said he has learned a lesson from the incident about being more alert and prepared for any possibilities. He is now paying it forward and using his experience to teach life-saving survival tips.
"If you can get the headrest loose from your car seat, you can use the two prongs to smash out the glass as well, but this tool is designed specifically for those kinds of rescues," Peterson said.
The MVP program honors people from Florida's 17th Congressional District who go above and beyond their duty to impact society.