SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – A Seminole County deputy helped rescue a man who nearly drowned in Hurricane Ian’s floodwaters, officials said.
Deputy Todd Moderson, of the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, helped rescue a man whom a Geneva neighbor described as “on the cusp of death” and was mostly submerged under floodwaters.
Recommended Videos
[TRENDING: Cooler weather on the way. Here’s how low temps will go | Orlando FreeFall will be torn down. Here’s what we know about the timeline | Become a News 6 Insider]
On Oct. 5 around 5 p. m., Moderson said he heard a commotion near a checkpoint at Jungle Road and when he investigated, he heard someone yell for help and noticed someone in the water.
“I looked to the north here and I see the sheriff running down the street into the water,” said Geneva resident Ed Lemoine.
At the time, floodwaters were still at their highest point after Hurricane Ian, according to the sheriff’s office.
According to a Twitter post by the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, an older man walking through a deep water-filled ditch hit what was described as a “soft spot and sunk” and started to lose his strength while trying to stay above water.
Moderson and neighbors were able to rescue the man, load him into a pickup truck and take him to receive medical attention.
“These guys basically saved his life,” Lemoine said.
An SCSO deputy is thanking Geneva residents who helped him rescue their drowning neighbor. It happened on October 5th when a senior citizen was walking down Jungle Road, stepped in to a deep, flooded ditch, and was pulled under. pic.twitter.com/pXEqzV2Dr1
— Seminole County S.O. (@SeminoleSO) October 18, 2022
“I want to thank the residents, and I’m so thankful for the community,” Moderson said.
Moderson and the sheriff’s office wanted to remind residents that rain boots and waders can quickly fill with water and act as a weight and pull you down into the water.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: