VACATION SALVATION
Local paramedic rescues drowning man in Florida
Justin Lammers of Essex-windsor EMS might be on vacation in Florida with family this month, but it was all business when he spotted a tired swimmer struggling in the water off Palm Beach.
“I knew he wasn’t going to last much longer out there, and I wasn’t ready to watch him go under and not come back up,” said Lammers, 38.
“It was definitely familiar. The paramedic mode kicked in.”
The deputy chief of professional standards at Essex-windsor EMS has been praised by Palm Beach authorities for his quick and decisive action to rescue a man from potentially drowning.
On the morning of Dec. 9, Lammers was setting up chairs at a place called Lake Worth Inlet for some beach fun with his two children.
That’s when he noticed a swimmer waving for attention about 200 feet from shore.
“We’ve spent some time there, so I understand the tides,” Lammers said. “I know that spot (in the water) is a little bit dicey.”
Lammers tried to communicate with the swimmer using hand signs, but it became apparent the man was in trouble.
With no life-jacket or flotation device nearby, Lammers grabbed the only thing handy — his son’s Wham-o bodyboard — and ran into the surf. “It’s the kind of toy you can get at a beach store .... Just a block of foam,” he said.
He was already in the water by the time he shouted at other beachgoers to call 911.
Even with his experience snorkelling and scuba diving, Lammers knew the situation would turn ugly fast if the tired swimmer panicked and tried to grab onto him.
“That was absolutely in the back of my mind,” he said. “I knew I needed to bring something that we could float with .... The risk of going out to somebody who’s drowning is that they wind up wrestling with you and taking you down, too.”
When Lammers reached the man in the water, he gave him the bodyboard to rest upon, while Lammers held onto a corner and swam alongside. “I told him, ‘Just keep kicking, bud. Just keep kicking.’ ”
Within minutes, a Palm Beach police boat came out and brought them both aboard.
“It was an impressive response (by Palm Beach emergency services),” Lammers said. “When I saw that boat come around the corner of the pier with the lights flashing, there was a lot of relief.”
The swimmer, described as a man in his 30s about six feet tall and 250 pounds, was exhausted, but safe. “He was a big guy,” Lammers said. “He was absolutely gassed.”
“He said he got stuck. He was in that ebb tide for about 20 minutes and started getting a cramp. He knew he couldn’t make it on his own — that’s when he started waving.”
Lammers thanked the people on the beach who called 911. “That’s the critical link in the chain of survival.”
The Palm Beach Police Department and Palm Beach County Fire Rescue were also quick to recognize Lammers’ efforts. Later the same week, he was invited to Palm Beach city council chambers to receive a life-saving award and a medal.
While the praise was nice, Lammers isn’t allowing it to interrupt his vacation: He said he and his family will spend next week in Key West before returning home to Tecumseh.
“Just some fishing and hanging out on the beach,” he said. “Family time.”