BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey in a glowing social media post thanked several deputies and good Samaritans credited with pulling a man from a sinking pickup truck that had fallen from the Pineda Causeway on Saturday.
That morning, deputies got word that the pickup truck had hit the center median on the causeway, crossed over lanes, crashed through a guardrail and landed in the water, according to the post. As the sheriff’s office rushed to respond, first to arrive was Deputy Bradley McLaughlin, who observed that two citizens — identified as Ariana Ebert and Don Cobb — had already entered the water and were holding the driver’s head above the surface to keep him alive, the post states.
McLaughlin followed suit and jumped into the water, where something inside of the truck had reportedly trapped the driver and was preventing the rescuers from fully getting the man out of the sinking vehicle. Once McLaughlin had reached the truck and began to assist the good Samaritans, Ebert at one point dove under the water to see if she could free the man that way, according to the post.
Another deputy, James Basille, had since arrived to the scene and also jumped into the water to help, after which the driver was finally freed and taken to dry land, Ivey wrote.
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Deputies Noah Kane and Jeremiah Mackey joined a group of other folks to pull the man out of the water, Ivey said, adding Kane began to perform CPR. The driver was eventually hospitalized, where he remained in the intensive care unit as of Saturday evening, according to the sheriff.
There are not enough words on days like today that explain the immense emotions one feels about just how great this community is!! Our Deputies are trained to jump into action in emergency situations, and we would never ask citizens to put their own lives at risk, but to see them selflessly try to save someone in a truly scary situation, shows the kind of people that make up Brevard County!!
I say it all of the time because I truly believe it is representative of our amazing home, it takes a community to protect a community, and today this saying rang more true than ever!!
Brevard County Sheriff' Wayne Ivey on Facebook 8:01 p.m. Sept. 7, 2024 (excerpt)
Beyond thanking Satellite Beach police along with Brevard County Fire Rescue and the sheriff’s office’s deputies, dive team and Ag/Marine Unit, Ivey said, ”Thank you will never be enough to Ariana and Don for the help they provided to this man,” inviting others to join him in making the two feel the appreciation they deserve.
News 6 Producer Tiffany Browne spoke with the good Samaritans who helped rescue the man from the pickup truck.
Watch the interview in the video player below or by clicking here.
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