Florida Deputy Rescues Wheelchair-Bound Grandfather from Shark-Infested Waters
A dramatic rescue unfolded when a sheriff's deputy dove into dark waters to save a 72-year-old man who fell from his electric wheelchair into a Florida marina.
A heroic act of bravery saw a Florida deputy plunge into shark-infested waters to rescue a wheelchair-bound grandfather on September 27. Bill Von Herbulis, 72, had been stranded for over an hour after his electric wheelchair tipped into the water at a marina in New Smyrna Beach.
Dramatic bodycam footage shows Volusia County Sheriff's Sgt. William Leven removing his gun belt before diving into the dark water with a rescue buoy. Von Herbulis was leaving a fishing trip around 7:30 p.m. when equipment he was hauling bumped into a dock box, causing him to fall into the ocean.
Plunging into the water with his cellphone, Von Herbulis managed to grab onto an electrical pipe and called for help. A passing fisherman eventually heard his cries and contacted 911.
Deputies Leven and Boris Rodriguez arrived at the marina around 9 p.m. and found Von Herbulis struggling to stay afloat. The footage captures Leven entering the water with a rescue buoy and wading towards the grandfather.
With the assistance of bystanders, Leven and the deputies helped Von Herbulis out of the water and onto the dock. Von Herbulis, who has been in a wheelchair for 19 years after breaking his neck, declined medical attention and was placed back in his electric wheelchair.
He recounted the terrifying experience, noting that the high tide had allowed him to reach the pipe, which would have been out of reach in lower water. "I'm thinking, am I gonna have to wait here all night?" he told Fox News Digital.
Despite the ordeal, Von Herbulis returned to fishing the following day. "He doesn't miss," his wife, Lori Von Herbulis, stated.
Sgt. Leven is slated to receive a Lifesaving Award for his heroic actions. Von Herbulis, who is a regular at the marina and known to catch sharks, also found humor in the situation, remarking, "There's obviously sharks in that water. But they didn't want me."
