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It was a bad night on the turnpike, and it was about to get worse...
A dangerous thunderstorm was pounding on the Florida Turnpike on October 13, 2008. Captain Mike Magee and Jeff Werthmuller of Ocala Fire Rescue were off duty and driving on the rain-soaked highway. Suddenly, an SUV spun out of control and flipped over into a ditch of running water, coming to rest on its roof.
Acting purely on instinct, Mike and Jeff raced to the overturned SUV, which was taking on water. As they leapt from their vehicle, the firefighters heard a woman screaming for help, “Get us out! I have a baby in here!”
Using their bare hands, the men dug through the mud and rescued the baby from the broken side window. Then, they broke out another window with a rock and pulled the mother to safety. As the rescue was taking place, Mike and Jeff faced great danger as three additional vehicles spun on the slick pavement and careened off the road around them. With mom and baby safe, they tended to the other victims until 911 assistance arrived on the scene.
Mike and Jeff received the Liberty Mutual Firemark Award for their brave efforts that day, but the two firefighters said they were just glad to be in the right place at the right time. For them, it’s all part of the job.
Mike and Jeff continue to serve with Ocala Fire Rescue and are both instructors at Florida State Fire College. While they might not consider themselves heroes, that mother and child certainly do, and so does Firehouse Subs. (via Firehouse Subs: http://www.firehousesubs.com/heroes/Heroes-Jeff-Werthmuller-Capt-Mike-Magee.cfm)
Acting purely on instinct, Mike and Jeff raced to the overturned SUV, which was taking on water. As they leapt from their vehicle, the firefighters heard a woman screaming for help, “Get us out! I have a baby in here!”
Using their bare hands, the men dug through the mud and rescued the baby from the broken side window. Then, they broke out another window with a rock and pulled the mother to safety. As the rescue was taking place, Mike and Jeff faced great danger as three additional vehicles spun on the slick pavement and careened off the road around them. With mom and baby safe, they tended to the other victims until 911 assistance arrived on the scene.
Mike and Jeff received the Liberty Mutual Firemark Award for their brave efforts that day, but the two firefighters said they were just glad to be in the right place at the right time. For them, it’s all part of the job.
Mike and Jeff continue to serve with Ocala Fire Rescue and are both instructors at Florida State Fire College. While they might not consider themselves heroes, that mother and child certainly do, and so does Firehouse Subs. (via Firehouse Subs: http://www.firehousesubs.com/heroes/Heroes-Jeff-Werthmuller-Capt-Mike-Magee.cfm)