HAULOVER BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A young woman who survived a jet ski accident surprised the firefighters who helped save her life.
The Miami-Dade Fire Rescue firefighters were surprised by the unexpected visit from Dariana Mizrahi, Wednesday.
“I actually came by yesterday to ask if they remember me or if I could meet who saved me, and they thought I passed, so it was like I came back from the grave,” said Mizrahi.
The last time she saw the crew was exactly two years ago during Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Mizrahi was out with some friends and riding on a Jet Ski at Haulover Beach.
In the blink of an eye, her life changed when she fell off the watercraft.
“I’ve ridden Jet Skis my whole life. I was like, ‘I’m fine,’ so I waved down my friend to come back and get me, which he did, and then they’re like, ‘Oh, you’re bleeding,'” she said. “I feel like I was wearing the right attire, and nothing prevented it.”
MDFR Lt. George Izquierdo said they got a distress call from a good Samaritan who was out on the water at the time.
“She fell off, and the high speed that they were going with, the propulsion, caused abdominal and inner cavity injuries that are specific to that type of incident,” said Izquierdo.
Mizrahi credits the team for saving her life because of how quickly they acted that day, like getting an ambulance ready and alerting Aventura Hospital and Medical Center that she was on the way.
“They were like, ‘She’s bleeding too much,’ and I remember telling somebody, ‘Oh, please, I don’t want to die,'” she said.
Mizrahi survived the incident and now proudly wears her trauma survivor medal.
The team from Station 21 said they don’t often get to see how rescues ultimately turn out, so the reunion with Mizrahi was special.
“We have a young lady here who is a guest of honor that survived a remarkable accident that is in most part not survivable,” said Izquierdo.
Mizrahi now dedicates time to share her story of survival by speaking with patients at the hospital in hopes of preventing accidents like hers.
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