Florida officer jumps into high-speed boat after driver is thrown overboard
By Allison Petro
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SARASOTA, Florida (WESH) — A man was thrown overboard from a vessel Monday, causing it to circle without a driver in Sarasota until police jumped into action.
The Sarasota Police Department responded to a call of a boater in distress north of the Ringling Museum.
Police explained that a boater had fallen from the vessel, leaving it unmanned as it circled across the ocean at approximately 40 mph.
Multiple agencies responded to the incident but were not able to bring the situation under control after multiple attempts.
Sea Tow was able to reduce the speed of the vessel by deploying a plasma tow line, according to police.
A Sarasota police officer was then able to maneuver alongside the vessel, allowing the lieutenant to jump in and bring it to a stop.
The vessel operator explained to police a larger boat had cut in front of him, and he was thrown from the boat while trying to navigate the wake.
Police reported that the operator sustained minor injuries and was not wearing a life jacket or using the vessel’s emergency engine cut-off switch at the time of the incident.
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