ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – A man saved by Orange County firefighters after crashing into a pond last year reunited with his rescuers, gifting them a betta fish to remember the occasion.
“408 the fish,” a freshwater critter named after the state road next to the pond in which he plunged, was presented by the man and his wife to firefighters during the Orange County Fire Rescue Department’s awards ceremony Thursday night.
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The department shared video of the interaction on Twitter, showing off the gilled gift and letting the man recount his experience.
“It was unbelievable finding out that Jimmy — the firefighter that actually saved me — when he saw my face, knew exactly who I was, because he and our son play hockey together,” the man said. “...The car was sinking so fast, if he hadn’t gotten there when he did, I probably wouldn’t be here today.”
https://t.co/SbeFXNX5DH pic.twitter.com/5yq0TD5UL4
— OCFire Rescue (@OCFireRescue) January 13, 2023
The man told firefighters that he found the fish in his pocket after being rescued, yet did not elaborate further about how a species native to Southeast Asia could have ended up in a Central Florida pond.
Aside, the firefighters said they intend to keep 408 around as a mascot for the department.
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