MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. (WSVN)– A quadriplegic man was saved from sinking thanks to the quick work of Florida deputies and some help from good Samaritans. Footage from a body camera worn by a Martin County Sheriff’s deputy shows the victim in the water while strapped to a wheelchair as several go od Samaritans surrounding him hold him above the water. “A little awe and shock at first where your realize this is for real, we need to act,” said Martin County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Mark Appler. Appler was the first deputy to arrive at the scene, Sunday morning. The 30 year-old manm who can’t move his arms and legs, had attempted to board his family’s boat when the ramp collapsed. “We learned that the victim weighed about 130 pounds, and the wheelchair itself weighed 230 pounds, and being that everything was wet, it was making everything a little heavier,” said Appler. Their first plan of rescue was to attach a rope to the chair and pull it out, but the strap that connected the man to the chair made it impossible. “The top harness that he had was still holding him in and kind of started to choke him a little bit, so we lowered him back to the water level to reassess our next approach,” said Appler. That’s when Deputy Sam Oliver arrived. “It was pretty instinctual. Once I got there, I saw the urgency and just jumped in,” he said. “With him not being able to speak to us, to articulate how he was feeling, we knew urgency was the best route there.” The deputies’ next plan of action was to unharness the man from the chair and use a life vest to keep him above the water. Martin County Fire Rescue provided a backboard, and Oliver was able to swim the man to shore, where he was then lifted to safety. The victim had a few scrapes and bruises but was mostly unharmed. Now the deputies have a story to tell, and they have also learned a lesson. “Always be prepared, because you never know what’s going to happen,” said Appler This rescue was a first for those deputies and is not something they train for, but it’s something that they said they’ll be more prepared for, if there’s ever a next time. ...read more read less