An off-duty Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department firefighter rescued three boaters clinging to a capsized vessel off Big Talbot Island on Saturday, Oct. 17.

JFRD firefighter Otto Scherick was walking a trail to the beach with his girlfriend to celebrate her birthday when he heard screaming, Action News Jax reported. He sprinted to the shoreline and spotted the boaters waving from their overturned boat offshore.

Scherick swam out to the group. After reaching them, he assessed the current and determined that swimming to shore was their safest option, according to JFRD.

With no life jackets on board, Scherick disconnected the boat's gas tank and used it as a makeshift flotation device to help guide the boaters toward land. A bystander also swam out and stayed with the group throughout the return to shore.

Three boaters reach shore safely

The first 911 call came in at approximately 10:47 a.m., according to News4Jax. Callers estimated the boaters were as far as 800 yards from shore.

By 11:14 a.m., all three had reached land, where firefighters from JFRD Engine 66's C shift met them. No injuries were reported.

"He didn't have a radio, a crew, or any equipment, just his training and good judgment," JFRD Director and Fire Chief Percy Golden II said in a statement. "We're proud of him and grateful he stepped up."

JFRD Deputy Division Chief of Services Colin Aguilar told First Coast News that Scherick's improvisation stood out.

Aguilar also pointed to windy, rough conditions and a busy air show weekend at Naval Air Station Jacksonville as reminders for boaters to carry life jackets and check weather conditions before heading out.

JFRD urges boaters to wear life jackets

JFRD is urging boaters to wear a life jacket every time they go on the water. If someone is in distress, the department advises calling 911 immediately and throwing the person something that floats. Only people trained in water rescue should enter the water to help.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reported 81 boating fatalities statewide in 2024, up from 59 in 2023.

According to the FWC's boating safety information, approximately 80% of drowning victims in boating incidents were not wearing a life jacket. The agency's figures for 2024 specifically showed that more than 75% of drowning victims were not wearing one.

Florida law requires recreational vessels to carry an appropriately sized, wearable U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket for each person aboard.

Mandarin residents who boat on the St. Johns River can find life jacket requirements and additional safety resources on the FWC's boating safety page.