Body cam footage from a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Officer shows a dramatic rescue of a kayaker clinging to his overturned and waterlogged kayak near Marathon in the Florida Keys.
The kayaker, Micheal Krevat, was spotted struggling in the water near the Spanish Harbor Bridge. Officer Shawn Turner quickly reached the scene in his patrol boat and initiated the rescue.
Kayaker rescue caught on body cam footage near Marathon, Florida
“Here, give me your hand. Give me your hand,” said Turner as he approached Krevat, who appeared to be struggling to keep his head above the water.
When reaching with his hand didn’t work, Turner was able to get a rope to Krevat and pull him and the swamped kayak to the patrol boat. With Krevat too exhausted to haul himself aboard, Turner moved Krevat to the back of the boat.
“I’ve been out here for like 20 minutes,” said Krevat.
Krevat asked if they could save the kayak and Turner assured him that he was more worried about Krevat himself than the kayak. Throughout the rescue, Turner remained calm and assuring and operated quickly in actions that likely saved Krevat’s life.
Turner helped to haul the struggling kayaker from the water and removed the rope wrapped around Krevat’s arm before securing his sinking kayak to the FWC boat. Turner also called to let authorities know Krevat was out of the water, then secured Krevat in a life jacket as he had not been wearing one. After, he emptied the sinking kayak and pulled it aboard.
“I was paddling water for 20, 30 minutes then I started praying to God, and then this guy shows up,” Krevat said.
Turner shared that as Krevat had drifted underneath the bridge, a bystander driving past saw him floating and called for help on his behalf, leading to Krevat’s swift rescue.
Rescued kayaker ultimately uninjured
While shaken and exhausted, Krevat was ultimately uninjured, but the near miss highlights the importance of wearing a life jacket when paddling, even when conditions appear calm.
Additionally, paddlers can come to the water prepared by carrying multiple ways to call for help in an emergency such as a marine radio, cell phone in a drybag, signalling mirror, flares, and/or a whistle. Carrying multiple ways to signal for help can both allow a paddler to make an initial call for help should disaster strike and later help first responders locate the scene of the incident more quickly. Equipping a kayak with float bags or choosing to paddle a kayak with bulkheads can also prevent a kayak from sinking upon capsize, leading to an overall safer ride.
