Florida Volunteer Swims 150 Yards to Save Drowning Woman

Mark Dyberg was reading by his hotel pool in San Juan when he heard something that changed everything: desperate cries for help coming from the ocean jetty below.

The Flagler County Sheriff's Office volunteer didn't hesitate. He alerted hotel staff to call authorities, grabbed lifebuoys from the pool, and headed toward the water where three people were struggling in rough seas.

By the time Dyberg reached the jetty on March 18, one woman had already made it to shore. But two others remained in distress. One voice had gone silent, while another woman could barely be heard calling out in the darkness.

Dyberg plunged into the Atlantic with two life rings. He swam 150 yards through swells reaching six feet high, searching for the fading voice in the dark water. When he found the woman, he kept her afloat and brought her close enough to shore for Puerto Rico Emergency Management Bureau responders to pull them both to safety.

The rescue had a tragic element. A man who had jumped in earlier to help was swept away by waves and currents. A multi-agency search recovered his body the next day.

Dyberg volunteers with Seniors vs. Crime, a Florida Attorney General partnership that protects older adults from fraud and scams. He's been with the Flagler County program since October 2023, helping seniors who've been targeted because of their age.

Why This Inspires

Sheriff Rick Staly praised Dyberg's actions as proof that some people simply run toward danger when others need help. The volunteer's instinct to act, even while on vacation hundreds of miles from home, shows how deeply some people commit to serving others.

Dyberg brought hotel rescue equipment, assessed the situation quickly, and used his swimming skills in conditions that would terrify most people. His combination of awareness, preparation, and courage made the difference between tragedy and survival for one woman that night.

One person's readiness to help can change everything in a moment of crisis.