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A man reunited with first responders who saved his life after he was struck by a hit-and-run boater in Fort Lauderdale while he was diving.
David Labrador is walking without crutches or a wheelchair, and he almost lost his leg. But thanks to the firefighters at Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue, he is doing well and is back home.
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WATCH HEREOn Tuesday, the 29-year-old had a heartfelt reunion with the first responders who sprang into action to save his life. Labrador is now walking and is without crutches.
The incident happened on March 1 as Labrador was spearfishing with a dive flag a few miles offshore in Oakland Park, near Fort Lauderdale Beach.
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As he surfaced, a boat ran him over and kept going.
“When I come back up, I look to my left and I see a boat. I quickly dove back down, and it clipped my left leg,” Labrador said.
The boat’s propeller sliced through his upper thigh and left a deep gash about 12 inches wide and almost to the bone.
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"I was thinking that I was okay, but as soon as I got on the boat, my buddy was, 'Like you’re bleeding,'" he said. "After that, my heart started racing.”
A beachgoer shared a photo with NBC6 after the 29-year-old was brought to shore by his friend in a boat.
First responders said it was a community effort as people on shore applied a tourniquet until they arrived.
"To see him walking is completely astounding,” said FLFR firefighter Charles Stevenson.
Stevenson was one of the firefighters who patched Labrador up and brought him to Broward Health Medical Center, where Labrador said he was given 40 stitches and a ton of antibiotics.
"If it was in front, I don’t think we would be sitting here talking with him," he said. "The fact that we are able to sit here and talk with him and he’s able to walk over to us, that just speaks to our training as well."
"Where we expected to see crutches or wheelchairs or even a limp, we saw none of the above, and that’s just a testament to the flow of care between our system and Broward Health,” said FLFR Deputy Chief Garret Pingol.
As he’s fully recovered, Labrador said he’s grateful for the professionals who quickly rushed in to help
“The response was super fast. Unbelievably fast," he said. "I don’t think I would have made it today if it wasn’t as quick as it was. To be able to thank them again, I heard they went to the hospital to ask about me, so as soon as I heard that, I was thinking that these people don’t see it just as a job. They actually care for the community and the people that get hurt, so I felt like I had to come out here and thank them for everything they do.”
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is still searching for the boat that hit him and took off. The boat in question has a white center console with outboard motors and is possibly 30 to 40 feet long. It was last seen heading northbound with two people on board.
Anyone with information is asked to call the FWC at 888-404-FWCC.
