PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. – Deputies with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office had to race to catch a runaway boat after its driver fell off. Bodycam video captured the moment they maneuvered into position and a deputy leaped onto the vessel to get it under control.
The runaway boat was traveling about 41 mph on July 30 when two Pinnellas County deputies took action to get it under control. Footage taken showed PCSO’s Marine and Environmental Lands Unit responding to a call to assist the U.S. Coast Guard during the hazardous incident, Fox News Digital reported.
“The Coast Guard attempted to deploy prop fowling devices to stop the vessel but they were unsuccessful,” the sheriff’s office said. “Deputy Constant intercepted the runaway vessel by matching its speed (about 41 mph) inside the curve allowing Deputy Fernandes to leap aboard and take control of the vessel.”
“And yes Deputy Fernandes does his own stunts,” the sheriff’s office added.
Officials said the operator of the boat had “fallen off and was rescued by a good Samaritan.”
PCSO released video which began with one of its boats racing alongside the speeding vessel with no one aboard.
“You got it, I don’t care about getting wet, you got it,” Deputy Fernandes said.
He then leaped onto the runaway boat and brought it under control before something catastrophic occurred.
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First responders were later seen with Coast Guard personnel working to untangle a line that got wrapped up in the boat’s propeller, Fox reported.
“Is anything caught up in there?” a Coast Guard member is heard asking a deputy.
“I think I just did, I didn’t even know there was a line back there. Oh yeah I just wrapped ‘em up good,” he responded.
“Oh, that’s what we needed like 45 minutes ago,” a Coast Guard member said, drawing laughs from the personnel engaged in the incident.
The deputy behind the Marine and Environmental Lands Unit boat that approached the runaway vessel told Fernandes he did a “good job.”
“Yeah, you too, good driving,” he responded.
“That was pretty bad a–,” a Coast Guard member emphasized.
