NOKOMIS, Fla. — A 69-year-old man was rescued by a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer and good Samaritan after his car ended up in the Intracoastal Waterway.
According to a news release from FWC, the agency responded to a request for help on Saturday with a car that drove off a seawall near the Albee Bridge.
Officer Specialist Kelsey Dalton arrived on scene at 6 p.m. and reportedly saw the car floating northbound in the Intracoastal Waterway. She didn't hesitate to jump into the water and swim over to the car.
At the same time, Dominic Yacca, a bartender at a nearby bar and former Marine, jumped into the water after witnessing the car crash into the waterway, WWSB said.
"With the help of a good Samaritan, they were able to smash the window with her baton and pull the driver, a 69-year-old man, out through the window," FWC leaders said in the release. "Officer Specialist Dalton then grabbed her dive mask and returned to the vehicle to check for any passengers."
No one else was inside the car, according to the agency.
“He was somebody’s father, brother... he was somebody. I said I’m going to do the best I can. We’re not going to fail here,” Yacca told WWSB in an interview days after the crash.
The Venice Police Department, Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, Fire Department and EMS were also on scene and started to investigate.
"Other than minor scratches and bruises, everyone involved was OK," the agency explains in the release. "The quick response from the good Samaritan and Officer Specialist Dalton averted what could have been a tragic situation."