VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Two Volusia Sheriff's Office deputies and a group of beachgoers are being credited after a 68-year-old swimmer was pulled from the ocean and revived Saturday morning, according to reports published by WPEC/CBS12 and The National Desk.
The outlets reported that deputies were flagged down by bystanders at about 10:15 a.m. for a swimmer in distress. Deputy Gourley located the woman floating face down in the water, then he and a Good Samaritan helped drag her to shore.
According to the reports, Gourley discovered the woman had no pulse and began lifesaving care. Deputy Manhart joined the CPR effort, and the woman was revived before additional emergency responders arrived.
Beachgoers helped start the chain of survival
The public-safety lesson in this rescue is hard to miss: alert witnesses recognized a crisis, got deputies' attention quickly and stayed close enough to help while responders worked. WPEC reported that Beach Safety personnel later took over lifesaving efforts at the scene and that the woman was transported to a local hospital in stable condition.
The woman was not publicly identified in the reports reviewed by ThinBlueNews. This story is keeping medical and personal details limited to what was released publicly and focusing on the response credited to deputies, bystanders and beach safety personnel.
Video shows a fast oceanfront response
WPEC/CBS12 posted video of the rescue on YouTube, warning viewers that the footage includes graphic lifesaving efforts. ThinBlueNews reviewed the public video listing and used a source-published, already-blurred bodycam still for the featured image rather than a close medical-treatment frame.
For Support Law Enforcement readers, the rescue is a reminder that patrol deputies can be pushed into a medical emergency in seconds — and that bystanders who call out, point responders in the right direction and assist safely can help save critical time.
Sources
- WPEC/CBS12: Florida deputies revive 68-year-old woman after ocean rescue
- The National Desk: syndicated report with VSO-attributed stills
- WPEC/CBS12 YouTube video: Florida deputies revive swimmer
ThinBlueNews will update this story if Volusia Sheriff's Office releases additional public details or award information for the deputies involved.