Man rescues unconscious boater after pontoon spins out of control near Gordon Pass in Florida
By Isaias Soto
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NAPLES, Florida (WBBH) — A Naples man’s boat outing turned into a rescue mission when he discovered an unconscious man aboard a pontoon boat spinning out of control near Gordon Pass.
Walter Largaespada captured the moment and initially thought the boat might be part of a group watching dolphins.
“At first I thought, you know, because there were a couple other boats watching, probably watching dolphins. So we got closer and noticed that, that there was nobody on the boat,” Largaespada said.
After calling 911, the pontoon boat ran aground, prompting Largaespada to act. He says it was his instincts as a Navy vet that pushed him to take action.
“Once the boat hit the ground, you know, that’s when I decided to park mine,” he said.
His mother, who was with him on the trip, held down their boat while Largaespada jumped aboard the pontoon.
“When I turned off the engine, I saw a guy laying on the ground,” Largaespada said.
Naples police arrived and began providing first aid.
“The officer, once she got on board, was able to determine the subject was alive. However, he was unresponsive and unconscious. Once the paramedics got there, they were able to treat him and transport him to the hospital,” Lt. Michael O’Reilly of the Naples Police Department said.
Largaespada’s mother was unaware of the rescue until after the situation had calmed down.
“She had no clue about everything that happened until right after I told her the whole thing,” Largaespada said.
Naples police confirmed the man made a full recovery.
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