FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WSVN) — From a rescue in the Everglades to a chase on Interstate 95, it has been a wild week for a Broward Sheriff’s Office helicopter pilot.
For BSO Deputy Brian Miller, the department’s chief pilot, the past several days were filled with adrenaline. On Thursday, he pulled off a tricky rescue in West Broward after a banner plane pilot lost power and attempted to executed a crash landing in the middle of the Florida Everglades. “I came in nice and low for him to climb onto the helicopter,” said Miller.
Earlier in the week, Miller’s chopper hovered above a red Volkswagen sport utility vehicle involved in a tri-county, high-speed chase that began in Miami Gardens and moved into Broward County. “We weren’t really paying attention to the speed of them because we’re kind of trying to pace them and watching out for any other hazards, so we’re not really focusing on the speed,” said Miller.
The deputy followed the SUV until it crashed by the side of the highway and the driver bailed from the vehicle and took off running. The camera located in the bottom of Miller’s helicopter was able to capture the subject’s every move. It is an infrared camera, so it is also able to track perpetrators at night.
The subject who attempted to elude authorities after fleeing from the SUV hid under some bushes while Miller, who kept a watchful eye on him, informed crews on the ground where to locate him.
Miller, who has been with BSO for 24 years, has been a pilot for 13 of those years. “Oh, I love it. Best job in the agency,” he said.
It is a job, Miller added, that he takes seriously, so he chalks up these rescues and chases as just another day at work. “No reprieve; wanna catch the bad guys,” he said.