MOUNT DORA, Fla. – An off-duty Mount Dora police officer is being credited with helping save an unconscious woman after a boat crash on Lake Dora Saturday night that sent five people to the hospital.
The crash happened just before 9 p.m. on the lake, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Officer Brandon Buzzard said he and his 6-year-old son were fishing nearby when they heard the collision.
“It was dark just before 9 p.m.,” Buzzard said. “We had just settled in, anchors in the water, and I heard a couple of motors near me. And I heard a loud crash.”
Buzzard immediately called 911 and identified himself as a Mount Dora police officer.
“I’m out on the lake right now, and there is a boating accident. There are injuries,” he told dispatchers. “I’m on the phone. I’m Mount Dora Police Department.”
Buzzard said he and his son boated toward the crash site to check on those involved. When they arrived, they found a 39-foot boat that had collided with a smaller pontoon boat.
One woman was unconscious and trapped underneath the wreckage.
“He said that his wife was down there, and he kept on trying to pull her out,” Buzzard said.
Buzzard and others were able to get the woman out from underneath the boat and onto his vessel.
“Get her onto the boat here. I’m going to take her to shore,” Buzzard said during the 911 call. When asked if she was unconscious, he responded, “Yeah, she’s knocked out right now. She got hit by a big boat.”
All of this unfolded while Buzzard’s young son was still on board.
“Just as much as I was going into save mode, he was very helpful as well,” Buzzard said. “He was moving all the equipment on the boat to make sure that we had room for other passengers.”
In total, five people were transported to a local hospital following the crash. Authorities said all five have since been released.
Investigators with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office said the crash remains under active investigation. It is unclear whether either boat had its lights on at the time of the collision or whether alcohol was a factor.