Six people were hauled from churning water on East Lake Tohopekaliga after their small boat started taking on water about two miles from shore on Saturday. Body-camera and patrol footage show officers and a nearby boater gunning it across rough waves and yanking passengers aboard just seconds before the vessel slipped beneath the surface. The close call has local crews repeating a familiar warning that weather and basic safety gear can be the thin line between a scare and a tragedy.
Newly released video of the rescue, reported by WFTV, shows the chaotic scene as rescuers shout that the boat could go under at any moment while waves crash over the disabled craft. The footage captures passengers scrambling into responding vessels before the boat sinks. Authorities say all six people were taken back to shore and evaluated.
How Rescuers Reached Them
Officer Michael MacDonald and his son, Officer Shayne MacDonald, who are both with St. Cloud’s marine unit, rushed to the marina and fell in behind a local boater who had launched his pontoon and tore nearly two miles across the lake, according to WESH. Body-worn camera audio catches Michael MacDonald shouting, “Let’s get ’em,” as crews pull people aboard. An Osceola County airboat crew later recovered the final passenger in a coordinated response that also involved St. Cloud Fire Rescue and STAR helicopter support.
Weather And Life Jacket Warnings
Officials told WFTV that a tornado watch was in effect when the group headed out and that conditions went downhill fast. One rescuer said none of the passengers were wearing life jackets. Florida law requires a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device for every person on board, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission offers guidance on proper use and sizing.
Aftermath And Advice
The sheriff’s office said there were no serious injuries and that all six people were checked out by fire-rescue crews, as noted by WESH. Local officials praised the fast work of first responders and the good Samaritan whose pontoon turned into a rescue boat. Their post-rescue message was simple: check the forecast before you launch, make sure there is a life jacket for everyone on board, and call for help early if the weather or the water starts to turn on you.
