Numerous other officers and detectives honored for response to ‘catastrophic water damage’ events caused by Tropical Storm Debby
A Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office deputy who rescued a man from a rip current off Siesta Public Beach in June 2024 is among numerous members of the agency whom Sheriff Kurt A. Hoffman recently recognized with special awards, the Sheriff’s Office has announced.
The presentations were made on March 13, a news release says.
Deputy Mark A. Eve received the Life Saving Award for his action late in the morning of June 16, 2024, which was described in a Sheriff’s Office report written after the event.
Eve was patrolling Siesta Beach at 10:48 a.m., about a quarter of a mile south of the yellow lifeguard stand, the report says, when he saw a woman in the Gulf, waving her arms in the air; she was about 75 yards offshore. Then Eve spotted a man farther out in the water, behind her, the report adds.
The woman told Eve “that her husband was struggling to swim,” the report continues. Eve then “stripped off all unnecessary gear, advised dispatch of incident and to have the lifeguards notified of the situation,” and entered the water, the report notes.
He swam out to the man, “who appeared to be having trouble swimming,” the report continues. “It appears he was caught in a rip current and the current was pulling him into deeper water,” Eve wrote in the report narrative. When he reached the man, the report says, Eve told the man to float on his back. Eve then reached across the man’s chest “and began to swim parallel to the shore. Once I believed I had exited the rip current,” Eve added in the report, he began swimming toward the beach with the man. “About halfway back to shore,” he continued, “I was joined by an additional swimmer later identified as Sergeant Eric Nalewaik,” of the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. “Sgt Nalewaik and I assisted the [man] until we were in shallow water where the [man] could walk to shore,” Eve added.
“Once on shore we were soon joined by the Siesta Beach Lifeguards as well as members of the Sarasota County Fire Department,” Eve noted. The man “refused any medical assistance,” Eve wrote.
“There were no injuries during this incident,” he added.
Quick action leads to more lives saved
Among other honorees on March 13 were Deputies Johnathon E. Carrier, Lynda K. Morris, and Michael A. Randazzo, who received the Life Saving Award “for their response to a call concerning a victim of a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” the news release notes.
Upon arrival at that scene — High Noon Guns on Bee Ridge Road in Sarasota — the release says that “the deputies observed an unconscious victim with labored breathing, a gunshot wound to his upper left chest, and an exit wound on his lower left back. Working together the deputies removed the victim’s shirt and used a wound-sealer on the chest and back to improve breathing,” the release explains.
The victim, whom Sarasota County Fire Department (SCFD) personnel transported to Sarasota Memorial Hospital for treatment, did survive the incident, the release points out.
Further, Deputies Stephen D. Brown, Houston M. Dikeman, Maxwell B. Rifkin and Clayton W. Reese received the Life Saving Award “for their response to a report of a possible battery. Upon arrival they found a man with a significant cut on his upper arm that was bleeding heavily,” as a result of the man’s having punched through a window, the release continues.
“The deputies quickly jumped to action with Rifkin applying a tourniquet to the injured arm. Reece assisted in the application of the tourniquet while Brown retrieved more medical supplies from his agency vehicle. Then, Dikeman, Reese, and Rifkin moved the victim to a better location to accurately assess the injuries,” the release says. “Arriving paramedics noted that they had never seen someone survive such excessive blood loss. The quick response and collaborative work of Deputy Brown, Deputy Dikeman, Deputy Rifkin, and Deputy Reese saved this man’s arm and his life,” the release adds.
Deputies Angelo S. Akyan and Yevgeniy Chernyavskiy received the Life Saving Award for their response to a call reporting that a 50-year-old male had suffered “a medical episode near the Beneva and Proctor Roads intersection,” the release continues. The man “had been riding his bike in the area when the episode took place, and he lost consciousness and fell from his bicycle onto the roadway,” the release says.
Upon arrival, Akyan “found the patient unconscious, not breathing, and without a pulse. He administered chest compressions while Chernyavskiy retrieved his manual resuscitator to provide rescue breaths while compressions continued. They completed multiple rounds of compressions and breaths for approximately 6-7 minutes until EMS arrived,” the release points out.
Just before the EMS unit reached the scene, the deputies detected a faint pulse in the man, the release adds. EMS personnel “continued life-saving measures and transported the patient to Sarasota Memorial Hospital.”
The release notes, “Deputy Akyan and Deputy Chernyavskiy were praised for their efforts and undoubtedly played a role in saving the patient’s life.”
Special recognition for Tropical Storm Debby response
Then the release points out, “The Meritorious Achievement Award was presented to the following members of the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office for their response during the catastrophic water damage to many parts of Sarasota County” produced by Tropical Storm Debby in August 2024:
- Special Operations Administration — Lt. Christopher M. Perz and Lt. Christopher D. Maze.
- Emergency Response Team (ERT) — Lt. Gerardo M. Carrillo, Sgt. Brian J. Bercaw, Sgt. Kyle M. Collison, Detective Evan M. Bair, Detective Alexander J. Conly, Detective Dwight D. Mattis, Deputy Shane M. Ayala, Deputy Devin A. Berry, Deputy Christian Cedano, Deputy Houston M. Dikeman, Deputy Gabriel B. Eckert, Deputy Christopher McConnell, Deputy Christopher McGrain and Deputy Justin G. Osinga.
- Marine Unit — Sgt. Samuel R. Lutz, Deputy John C. Fandozzi and Deputy Michael H. Watson.
- Incidence Dispatch Team — Emergency Operations Supervisor Kristen A. Williams, Communications Operator I Keri M. Halpin, Communications Operator I Christine A. Peterson, and Communications Operator I Dionne M. Tomkins.
- Agricultural Unit — Lt. Paul T. Cernansky, Sgt. Mark T. Tuls, Deputy Patrick A. Bassett, Deputy David L. Clark, Deputy Robbie L. Martin and Deputy George B. Yock.
- SURF (Dive Team) — Sgt. J. Lincoln Dilling, Sgt. Eric E. Griffin, Sgt. Andrew T. Prummell and Detective Chandler M. Hartman.
“This agency is proud to have so many members who are constantly giving their very best for the citizens of Sarasota County!” Sheriff Hoffman said in the release. “These members have applied their training and proven their commitment to our community with their heroic efforts and selfless work. We are also grateful to live in a community where good Samaritans still exist and care about their neighbors.”