BOCA RATON, Fla. — Palm Beach County Sheriff's Deputy Ryan Fisher was on duty on a rainy August night last year when he received the emergency call reporting a white car had veered off Glades Road and into the 60-foot-deep retention pond. Upon arriving at the scene, he noticed the car sinking.
“I saw the car was actively going down,” Fisher said, immediately springing into action. “I noticed no one was going in, so I took my belt and my vest off, and I just jumped right in,” he recalled.
Despite the dark waters and unknown dangers, including the potential presence of alligators, Fisher swam to the submerged vehicle and found the driver, a 93-year-old woman, struggling to stay afloat.
“All I saw was a lady just with the water to her neck,” Fisher said.
He quickly pulled her out and began swimming back to shore, facing the challenge of the deep waters.
“I was like, ‘Wow, I can't touch,'" Fisher said. "It was very deep."
Once on dry land, he handed the woman off to medical personnel and returned to the pond to ensure no one else was trapped in the car.
"I went completely underwater at that point to see if anyone else was in there,” Fisher explained.
Fortunately, Deputy Fisher confirmed that no one else was inside the vehicle.
After the rescue, he felt compelled to check on the woman named Marcelle during his off-duty time.
“I wanted to see how you were doing,” Fisher said when he visited Marcelle's home.
Deputy Fisher expressed the importance of the rescue.
“The car is replaceable, but you're not," Fisher said.
Marcelle praised him as a hero. "He's why I'm still here," Marcelle said.
The rescue resonates deeply with Deputy Fisher, who had previously encountered a similar situation, except he was unable to save a driver who had gone into a canal.
“I didn't seem to find anyone. And then other people said they found them, but they didn't survive," Fisher said.
For his extraordinary actions in saving Marcelle, Deputy Fisher has been nominated for this year's Life-Saving Award at the LEO Awards.
"I was just like, ‘Oh, wow. People really do care,’” Fisher noted.
Marcelle's family has expressed their gratitude, ensuring the deputy receives the recognition he deserves for his bravery and dedication.
