Suncoast: Deputies found an injured homeless man who had been trapped in the creek for 2 days
MCSO
TIME: hrs. 01:33
Case Number: 2020-028827
Incident Type: Deputies Rescue Homeless Man From Creek
Business/Subdivision: Bowlees Creek / Near Community Christian School
Location: 5640 15th St East, Bradenton Zone: E20
Victim(s): N/A Race/Sex: W/M Victim(s) D.O.B:12/01/1976
At around 1:30 am on 11/18/2020, deputies were dispatched to a call at Mike’s Mini Mart located at 57th Ave and 15th St E. When the first deputy arrived, he was informed by a resident there was a person yelling for help on the other side of the road in the woods.
After a track through a field and into a wooded area, Deputy Dwight Roberts located a partially clothed man sitting in about two feet of water underneath a rail road bridge. The man was unable to move, claiming he had been stuck in the creek for two days – calling out for help, but no one responded.
The man who is homeless, told deputies he was attempting to bath in the creek when he fell and was unable to get himself back up, due to a previous leg injury. Deputy Roberts quickly contacted EMS and with the assistance of other deputies lifted the man from the water.
Because of the remoteness of the area, EMS was unable to reach the man with a stretcher, so Deputies Roberts, Brittany Carannante, Tara Burge, Ryan Emkey, and Conner Gulash used a blanket to carry him approximately 250 yards down the rail tracks. Deputy Scott Fisher directed EMS and helped in the final part of the journey after a resident gave them a wheel chair.
The man was transported by EMS for treatment. His extremities were water logged to the point that his skin was coming off and he was suffering from the early stages of hypothermia.
(The incident was captured on several body worn cameras / redacted and trimmed down to 3 minutes.)
