OKEECHOBEE — Okeechobee County Fire Rescue firefighters rescued a 25-year-old Palm Beach man from a dark, swollen creek early Tuesday after he was struck by a vehicle and thrown approximately 15 feet off a Florida Turnpike bridge.

Station 4 crews responded at approximately 3:45 a.m. on Nov. 10, 2026, to northbound mile marker 182 following a report of a man stranded in the water.

The man had been involved in a single-vehicle crash and was checking on his vehicle when another vehicle struck him, throwing him from the bridge into the creek below. He was clinging to a small island approximately 100 yards from the bank when rescuers arrived.

Lieutenant Jamie Gwilt and firefighters Christopher Piloto, Garrett Collier and Michael Skipper, along with Deputy Joey Conroy from the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office, quickly developed a rescue plan. The crew lowered a backboard toward the man and fed it out until he could grab hold. Firefighters then pulled him through the dark water to safety.

Darkness and high water levels from recent rainfall complicated the rescue. Because the backboard was not designed to serve as a flotation device, crews had to work quickly to bring the man to shore.

“Our firefighters faced darkness, high water and a patient who needed immediate help,” said Okeechobee County Public Safety Director and Fire Chief Justin Hazellief. “Lieutenant Gwilt and his crew quickly developed a plan and worked together to bring him to safety. Their decisive actions reflect the dedication our personnel bring to this community every day.”

The man was transported by Air Rescue as a trauma alert to Lawnwood Medical Center in Fort Pierce.