Sarasota police officer stops spinning boat, rescues semi-conscious man on board
By: A man found semi-conscious on board a boat that was circling in a Sarasota waterway earlier this month is expected to make a full recovery.
"When I came out, I saw this boat circling like crazy and there was nobody in the boat," said homeowner Frank Kramer. "It came out of Phillipi Creek and was doing big loops around here and hit all four of my outer pilings at different passes before it finally knocked out the sign down here."
Kramer says he called 911 about the boat, and that's when Sarasota Police Officer Michael Skinner responded to the call, according to the police department. Upon arrival, Skinner says he saw the spinning boat with an unconscious man on board. Skinner maneuvered his police vessel to intercept the boat by wedging it against a nearby seawall.
Body camera video shows Skinner boarding the boat and shutting off its engine.
Sarasota County Fire Rescue was on standby near the seawall and rendered medical aid to the boat’s owner, later identified as Paul Hudson.
On the video, Hudson can be heard telling rescue crews that he hit a big wake.
Hudson, who was semi-conscious, got vital medical attention and was taken to Sarasota Memorial Hospital, where he is expected to make a full recovery.
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"I'm incredibly proud of Officer Skinner's quick response and selfless actions," said Sarasota Police Chief Rex Troche. "His bravery exemplifies the dedication of our law enforcement officers to serving and protecting our community."
Skinner played a vital role in getting Ethan’s Law passed through the state legislature, which requires operators of vessels 26' and under to wear a cutoff switch.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is investigating the incident.
The rescue comes just as National Safe Boating Week begins this weekend, and police put out important reminders.
"He had the emergency cut off switch, but it wasn’t used as it was designed. He was actually using it as a keychain, which isn’t uncommon for boaters to do that. But that’s not what it’s designed to do," said Skinner. "In this instance, he probably could’ve had medical staff attending to him a lot sooner than waiting for us to show up on scene."
Skinner said the emergency cut-off switches, whether wireless or attached, should be properly worn so that when the boat operator falls out of the boat or leaves the steering station or helm, the engine will immediately shut off.