Astor Fisherman, 56, Dies After Medic Leaps From Chopper Into Lake Woodruff

A 56-year-old fisherman from Astor died early Sunday morning after suffering a medical emergency aboard a pontoon boat on Lake Woodruff, prompting a rescue effort that included a flight paramedic leaping from a helicopter into the water to reach him. Volusia County dispatchers received the 911 call at 6:45 a.m., setting off a scramble involving deputies, a Good Samaritan boater, and an airborne medical crew across the remote lake in western Volusia County.

According to FOX 35 Orlando, a Volusia Sheriff's Office dispatcher walked someone aboard the boat through CPR instructions while Air One launched to locate the vessel from the air. The helicopter crew spotted the pontoon boat, and flight paramedic Matt Brunelle jumped from the aircraft into Lake Woodruff to reach the fisherman first, becoming the initial medical responder on scene.

From there, the rescue turned into a relay of hands. Brunelle took control of the pontoon boat and piloted it toward shore, while patrol deputies who had been brought out to the scene by a Good Samaritan boarded the vessel to keep up continuous CPR until EMS units could meet them on the water, per a report from WKMG. EMS crews then took over life-saving efforts before the man was transported to shore and on to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to FOX 35 Orlando.

A Remote Refuge Where Water Is the Only Road

The response underscores just how isolated parts of Lake Woodruff really are. The 2,200-acre lake sits within the more than 21,500-acre Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge, where sprawling freshwater marshes, swamps, and tributaries can only be reached by watercraft, per the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Boaters typically reach the lake through access points like the Lake Park Road public boat launch in DeLeon Springs or fish camps along Spring Garden Creek, according to Snoflo, meaning ground ambulances must stage at those ramps while waiting for a boat to bring victims in from open water.

That geography is exactly why the Volusia Sheriff's Office turned to its aviation unit. Air One, part of a fleet of Bell 407 helicopters, is jointly equipped for law enforcement surveillance, search and rescue, and airborne emergency medical transport, the Daytona Beach News-Journal has reported. The unit regularly flies trauma patients directly to Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach, the region's primary Level II trauma facility, according to the Volusia Sheriff's Office, giving flight medics like Brunelle the ability to begin advanced resuscitative care before a patient ever reaches a hospital helipad.

A Flight Medic With a History of Water Jumps

Sunday's water jump was not the first time Brunelle has leapt from Air One into a Florida waterway. Back in September 2018, he jumped into low-tide waters in Mosquito Lagoon to rescue two adults and two children stranded in kayaks, according to WFTV. That earlier rescue reflects the specialized, multi-environment training Volusia Sheriff's Office flight medics undergo for exactly this kind of scenario.

A Volusia Sheriff's Office spokesperson said everyone involved gave their best effort to give the fisherman a chance, according to the sheriff's office. Despite the coordinated response spanning air, water, and land units, the man did not survive the medical emergency, officials said.

Part of a Broader Pattern on Florida's Crowded Waterways

The incident adds to a string of water emergencies Volusia County crews have handled this year. In March, deputies, Air One, and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers spent hours searching the St. Johns River after a 22-year-old Daytona Beach man drowned while snorkeling near French Landing, a case that similarly required joint air-and-water logistics in a remote stretch of river.

State figures help explain why such responses are becoming more frequent. Florida recorded 694 reportable boating incidents and 51 boating fatalities in 2025, with drowning listed as the primary cause of death in more than half of those deaths, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported in May, as covered by the News Service of Florida. The commission also notes that Florida's waterways carry more than 1 million registered recreational vessels, plus up to 1 million more non-registered watercraft in active use, a volume that keeps pressure on marine and aerial search-and-rescue teams statewide. Under state boating regulations, operators involved in an incident resulting in death or injury requiring treatment beyond first aid must immediately report it to the FWC or local law enforcement.

Several details remain unresolved. Officials have not released the fisherman's identity pending next-of-kin notification, the specific medical condition that caused his collapse has not been disclosed, and the exact elapsed time between the 6:45 a.m. 911 call and his arrival at the hospital has not been made public. The Volusia Sheriff's Office provided information for the account of Sunday's response.