SANFORD, Fla. – The Sanford Fire Department will lead a procession to the medical examiner's office in Jacksonville and back to Sanford Tuesday to bring fallen Lt. Michael Salber home, according to his girlfriend, Melanie Jeanine.
The Fire Department announced Saturday that Salber died of injuries sustained in a boating accident.
Salber had been with the department since 1996. In 2006, Salber was named the department's Paramedic of the Year for his hard work assisting citizens in need of medical attention, according to the department. He was a member of the International Association of Firefighters and the International Police Mountain Bike Association.
“Mike’s death has created such sadness in the hearts of many that he touched with his friendship," Sanford Fire Chief Razdak said in a statement. "We were deeply saddened to hear the news of Mike’s death after a terrible boating accident this past weekend. We know that the Jacksonville Fire & Rescue Department did their best to save Mike's life. Our heartfelt condolences to his children, his family, his friends, and his SFD family who loved him at the Sanford Fire Department. Mike Salber, you will be deeply missed and always remembered.”
Salber went on to join the Sanford Dive Team as a an aviation rescue swimmer on the special operations team.
In 2013, Salber was promoted to lieutenant and assigned to Station 31.
"He was Superman and I loved him dearly," Jeanine said. "His heart could not get any bigger."
Jeanine and hundreds of people on Facebook describe Salber as larger than life - a champion barefoot water skier, an accomplished motocross rider, a pilot, a semi-pro football player and coach, a rescue diver, a tower chief, and a father of four.
Mike Salber, a former Sanford firefighter, passed away from injuries sustained in a boating accident on the St. Johns River.
Salber, 56, leaves behind three sons and a daughter, ages 17, 18, 20 and 22, according to Jeanine.
"Michael never said no to anyone when it came to helping others," Jeanine said. "I don't understand why they chose him to take home, he was the best ever. There's not a person who has ever met Mike who can't say he's larger than life. He was just one of the few really great guys."
Two powerboats, which can reach speeds of 75 mph, collided while racing on the St. Johns River around 1:50 p.m. during the third day of the P1 Jacksonville Grand Prix powerboat races. The boat that Salber was in shot into the air before landing on top of him.
Jeanine told News 6 she had been dating Salber for the past year and a half. She said she was watching the race and saw him crash.
"They just started colliding; one boat spun out. I was told it was like a pit maneuver where he spun out and Mike's boat had nowhere to go and went right over him and flipped," Jeanine said.
On Facebook, one person posted a picture of Salber next to a little boy on the dock, apparently taken right before the race started.
"I didn’t know him but we had the opportunity to meet him just prior to his race," the woman who posted the picture wrote. "He was so kind and offered Jeremy to see his boat. He grabbed J’s hand and had a huge smile, angel-like I swear. RIP Mike Salber. May peace be with your family during this tragic time."
Jeanine said Salber's thirst for adventure was balanced by his love of people.
"A lot of people didn't know him but wanted to, because he was that kind of a guy," Jeanine said. "What I don't think a lot of people knew is how much he cared, how big his heart was, and he would go out of his way for anyone. All he wanted to do was give back and make sure that others who are sick and less fortunate he would do whatever he could. On his days off, he worked for Seminole County to propel him out of a helicopter, to save people."
Salber was supposed to return to duty Monday morning.
"A somber return to duty for your C shift brothers today," another person on Facebook wrote. "Saddened that you are now a brother, who’s seat is reserved at the dinner table in remembrance. They know you are still with them. Keep ‘em safe today, Lt."
A viewing is scheduled for Friday evening in Clermont and a funeral service is scheduled for Saturday at Real Life Church in Clermont, where Salber lived. Details on Friday's viewing will be released at a later time.
"Those that he let close, his family and his friends, Michael would have given his life for," Jeanine said. "I just ask that you support your firefighters, show them your support, let them know there's no way we could function without them. Michael was a firefighter to his core."