Sarasota Police recall rescuing Hurricane Helene victims

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Published  October 4, 2024 5:50pm EDT
FOX 13 News
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First responders rescue storm victims in Sarasota

Kimberly Kuizon reports

SARASOTA - Before Hurricane Helene, Sarasota Police officers warned residents on land and water of potential impacts and cautioned residents to heed evacuation orders.

The storm delivered, and Sarasota Police Officer Kevin Campbell described the hurricane's strong conditions.

"Waves were coming in, and you could see the storm surge coming in. It was pretty harsh conditions," Campbell said.

Fellow Sarasota Police Officer Michael Skinner described a couple on a sailboat that told the officers they planned to ride the storm out until they couldn’t bear the conditions anymore.

"They had everything necessary to defeat Mother Nature, and really, at the end of the day, Mother Nature won," Skinner said.

When the wind and storm surge intensified, the couple on board called for help. The Officers, along with the Sarasota Police Marine Patrol, worked to help tie down their boat and get them out of harm's way.

"When that vessel was secured, they sat down, and they were almost a gasp at the situation, and the anxiety was starting to fall off them," said Officer Skinner.

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Campbell said that Hurricane Helene was the strongest storm the community has experienced.

"Sarasota hasn’t experienced a storm like that in many years. It was a dangerous situation, to say the least, but everyone ended up safe, and the job got done," said Campbell.

On land, Sarasota Police Officers Eric Urbain and Kevin Sullivan were sent to the homes of a couple in their late 80s who desperately needed rescue.

"There’s no oxygen and no power here; you can’t stay here," the pair of officers told the couple.

As water entered the couple's home, they took refuge on the second floor, but the situation was becoming increasingly dire as the man's oxygen was running low. Still, the couple wanted to stay.

"Ma’am, we will get this sorted out, but this isn’t a safe situation," Urbain told the woman.

Sarasota Police Officers speaking to a man who remained in his home during Hurricane Helene.

Urbain described the officers using a chair to help the woman, who recently had hip surgery, down the stairs. 

"We weren’t really privy to know what type of damage was done to the home; we had limited time to make decisions based on his limited availability of oxygen," Urbain said. "Our primary concern was on them. Property bills can come later," said Officer Urbain."

More rescue calls came in throughout the night, and Sullivan says the pair kept plugging away until all of the potential victims were pulled out of harm's way.

"We just clear it and continue on to work. In time, it’s just one rescue, so go on to the next one," Sullivan said.

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