Duo rescued from Gulf after their truck entered the ocean at Yankeetown boat ramp
Photographs by LCSO Captain Andy Fischer.
Levy County Sheriff's Office (LCSO)
Yankeetown, Florida - At 8:55 p.m. on Sunday night, January 21, 2024, Levy County Sheriff's Office Deputies responded to the boat ramp located at the end of County Road 40 East in Yankeetown, due to a report of a vehicle in the water.
County Road 40 dead-ends into the Gulf of Mexico at the Yankeetown boat ramp, and according to the Levy County Sheriff's Office, this is not the first time deputies have responded to a call of a motor vehicle in the water at this location.
The headlights of Deputy Cody Weaver's patrol vehicle illuminated a truck in the water, approximately 75 yards from the end of the boat ramp. He could see two people in the bed of the truck. As Deputy Dakota Dowling arrived on scene, the people in the truck entered the water in an attempt to swim to shore.
The couple, identified as 77 year old Frank Fournier and 68 year old Elena Van Kampen, both of Inglis, Florida, were quickly overcome by the 54 degree water temperature and began yelling for help.
Deputies Weaver and Dowling entered the water and rescued the two victims, assisting them to shore and into the back of a waiting ambulance.
The two victims and both deputies were transported to TGH (Tampa General Hospital) Crystal River - formerly Seven Rivers Hospital - in Crystal River, Florida, where they were treated for exposure.
After an examination, the deputies were released from the hospital. They returned to duty, and completed the remainder of their shift. The victims were held for further observation.
The truck, a 2024 GMC Denali (see photos), was removed from the water on Monday morning, January 22, 2024.
“The quick thinking and selfless sacrifice these deputies displayed is a testament to their dedication to the safety of our citizens," said Levy County Sheriff Bobby McCallum. "The deputies endured extremely cold water and an even colder air temperature (42 degrees), which placed their own life in jeopardy. Thankfully, everyone was rescued safely, and the couple is expected to make a full recovery.”