Men save elderly couple from wrecked boat

MELBOURNE, Fla. – Strong winds pushed a houseboat violently into the sea wall near the Eau Gallie Causeway in Melbourne early Friday morning. Waves crashed as a door was ripped off the deck. Frighteningly, an elderly couple was inside.

"Saw an old guy, an elderly man come out from the back of the boat and fall," Jason Wood said.

Jason Wood and Joe Couturier were driving by at 1 in the morning, and stopped to check out the boat. However, they ended risking their own lives to try to save the man and woman inside.

"It was tough to time it to actually jump on, and I basically poked my head in the doorway to see if we could coax them out, but they, they weren't moving," Couturier said.

Quickly, they called 911, took Joe's Jeep and tied a rope from it to the houseboat to help stabilize the boat. Officers arrived minutes later, broke a window, first pulling out the man. He fell and was rushed to the side. His wife was saved next, all while the boat was sinking.

"I'm just happy they got off in time," Wood said.

Joe and Jason look back on the wreck, grateful they were able to help, but too humble to take on the title of hero.

"No, I'm not a hero; no I don't think I'm a hero. We were just in the right place at the right time, helping out our fellow man," Wood said.

The man and woman, who are believed to be in their 70s and 80s are expected to be OK, but their home is a total loss.

Wind gusts were about 20 mph early Friday morning.