MARATHON, FLA. (WSVN) - A kayaker was rescued after his vessel got overturned in the ocean off the Florida Keys.
Shawn Turner, an officer from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, responded to a kayaker in distress near Marathon, July 16. The officer found the man struggling to stay afloat far from shore.
“Come here, grab this,” Turner can be heard telling the man. “Here, give me your hand, give me your hand. Hand, hand, hand!”
Bodycam video shows the FWC officer jumping into action to save the man clinging onto an overturned kayak with his head barely staying above water.
Officials say the man, identified as Michael Krevat, wasn’t wearing a lifejacket and was too exhausted to get back onto the vessel.
Turner can be seen tossing a line into the water for Krevat to grab before pulling him to his vessel.
“Give me your bag. Watch your head, watch your head, watch your head,” said Turner. “Let go of the kayak.”
“Can we save it?” Krevat asked.
“We will, I’ll get it. I’m worried more about you right now,” said Turner.
After securing Krevat on board, Turner went back to recover the overturned kayak.
Krevat said he had been trying to stay afloat for a long time.
“Man, I was paddling water for 23 minutes,” Krevat told Turner.
The pair returned to shore, where first responders checked out Krevat.
Fortunately, he was not hurt.
With the release of the bodycam video, the FWC wanted to emphasize the importance of carrying all required safety equipment, including a life jacket, while out on the water.
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