Good Samaritans Save Man Whose Truck Crashed into the Gulf

When a 51-year-old St. Petersburg man’s work truck drove into Gulf of Mexico waters off Madeira Beach Thursday afternoon it didn’t take two onlookers long to swing into action.

According to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the incident unfolded around noontime at 14230 Gulf Blvd. in Madeira Beach. Lawrence White, a Madeira Beach employee, was out collecting garbage on the beach in a city-owned truck, when he lost control of the vehicle and hit a parked University of South Florida vehicle.

Zachary Tyler, 29, of Tampa was on the beach surveying erosion for USF at the time and was not injured.

Following the hit, White’s truck continued past the USF vehicle, struck a beach cabana, ran over three beach chairs, just missed hitting several beachgoers and then entered the water at a 45-degree angle, an email to media from the sheriff’s office states. The truck drove the length from one concrete barrier to the other before it began to sink.

One of the beachgoers that narrowly missed getting hit was David Carefoote, 60, of Ontario, Canada. He was fishing on the beach when the crash occurred, deputies say.

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Once the truck hit the water, Carefoote and Tyler wasted no time diving into help, the sheriff’s office stated. The two jumped into the water, helped White get out of the submerging truck and brought him back to shore.

White was taken to St. Petersburg General for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, deputies say. They believe he suffered a medical episode that caused him to lose control of the truck.

The investigation continues.

Photo courtesy of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office