Florida Deputy Saves 72-Year-Old From Shark Waters

When your wheelchair tips into shark-infested water at dusk, 90 minutes can feel like forever.

Bill Von Herbulis, 72, never lets his wheelchair stop him from his daily routine: fishing and checking crab traps at the marina near his New Smyrna Beach, Florida home. But on September 27, what started as an ordinary evening of fishing turned into a fight for survival.

As the sun set around 7:30 p.m., Von Herbulis was rolling his wheelchair back along the narrow dock when his wagon of fishing gear jackknifed into a dock box. The jolt sent him and his wheelchair tumbling into the water below.

Von Herbulis stayed calm and surfaced quickly. Because of high tide, he could just reach an electrical pipe between boat slips. At low tide, it would have been four to six feet out of reach.

"Help!" he called out every 30 seconds into the empty marina. His wife was out for the evening, and unusually, no other anglers were around. His cellphone, his lifeline to help, had plunged into the water with him.

Finally, an arriving fisherman heard splashing and spotted Von Herbulis clinging to the pipe. A locked gate prevented him from reaching the dock, but he called 911 to report a possible drowning.

At 9 p.m., Sgt. William Leven and Deputy Boris Rodriguez arrived to find Von Herbulis struggling to keep his head above water. Leven quickly shed his gun belt and grabbed a rescue buoy, carefully navigating the sharp oyster shells and barnacle-covered dock pylons.

He reached Von Herbulis with the buoy and even snatched a bag of his belongings floating away. With help from bystanders, the deputies pulled Von Herbulis up the stairs to safety.

Von Herbulis, who hasn't been able to walk since breaking his neck 19 years ago, declined medical attention. He climbed back into his electric wheelchair and headed home.

Sunny's Take

The timing couldn't have been more dangerous. New Smyrna Beach is known for frequent shark encounters, and experts warn that dusk is feeding time for sharks. Just weeks earlier, a surfer was bitten by a shark in the same area.

But Von Herbulis's determination matches the courage shown by his rescuer. When asked when he returned to fishing, he didn't hesitate: "I was back the next day."

His wife Lori laughed, confirming what everyone who knows Bill already understands: "He doesn't miss."

Sgt. Leven will receive a Lifesaving Award for his quick action. The anonymous fisherman who called 911 may not have had a key to the dock, but as Lori put it, "he was our angel."

In a world that often focuses on what holds us back, Bill Von Herbulis reminds us that with courage and a little help, nothing can keep us from doing what we love.