Collier County deputies save man who fell into lake, got trapped underwater

Three Collier County Sheriff’s Office deputies performed CPR to revive a 51-year-old lawn maintenance worker who accidentally fell into a lake and got trapped underwater Tuesday.

The sheriff’s office said the worker was cutting grass on a steep incline near the edge of a lake on Ivy Point Court in Pelican Marsh around 8:30 a.m. when the tractor mower tipped over into the lake, trapping him underwater. Witnesses attempted to remove him from the water but were unable to.

Cpl. Pierre Richard Jean was the first deputy on the scene. He went into the water and with assistance from two civilian witnesses, they were able to lift the mower off the man, remove his seatbelt and bring him to shore.

The man did not have a pulse and was not breathing. He had been underwater for at least five minutes.

Jean, Cpl. David Donzanti and Cpl. James Kleinheinz performed CPR on the man who began breathing and regained a pulse before medics arrived. He was taken to the hospital and is expected to recover.