ST. CLOUD, Fla. (WSVN)– A father-son officer duo made a water rescue in Central Florida after rough waves proved to be too much for a family on a small boat.
Saturday’s dramatic rescue required the teamwork of a father and son to pull it off, and it was all caught on camera.
A family of six could be seen getting rescued as water rushed into their sinking boat two miles from shore on Lake Toho.
“They’re about to take some water over the bow. And once that happens, I’m afraid it’s going to go down quickly,” said an Osceola County Sheriff’s Office pilot over radio communications.
St. Cloud Police Officer Michael McDonald and his son, fellow officer Shane McDonald, received the distress call and raced to the scene.
“We hopped in the boat, crew flew across the lake. We were trying to get them out of the boat as soon as we could, before we had a tragedy on our hands,” said Michael.
The officers were part of a coordinated rescue effort from the water and air as the family on the boat battled the choppy waves.
The bow was almost completely submerged, with two people already in the water.
“When it comes down to it, our training really kicks in, and we can take care of what we have to do,” said Shane.
“Everything was phenomenal that day and worked out perfectly,” said Michael.
By the time all members of the family were brought to safety, the boat has completely submerged and was barely visible in the murky waters.
No serious injuries were reported.
Michael said it was a privilege seeing his son in action.
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