CAPE CORAL

Cape Coral crews rescue lawn care worker from canal

Michael Braun
MBRAUN@NEWS-PRESS.COM

The owner of a lawn care service was trapped under his riding mower in a Cape Coral canal for several minutes Monday until city police officers and public works employees rescued him.

The man, part of an independent husband-and-wife lawn care service, was cutting the grass in a yard on NE 10th Place around 11:30 a.m. when the mower he was riding toppled into a canal.

Fire rescue officials said they were unsure if the man, who was not breathing when taken to the hospital, slipped into the water due to wet conditions and the steep slope or had a medical emergency and lost control.

The man’s name was not released Monday and his condition wasn’t available.

Cape Coral fire Battalion Chief John Hauff said police officers responding to the call and public works employees who were working at the canal’s edge nearby jumped into the water, managed to get the lawnmower off the man, get him out of the water and onto the seawall.

“It was a real good team effort,” Hauff said.

The homeowner said the man has been servicing the home about four months and does a good job.

Justin Cave, a Cape Coral public works services division worker, said he had seen the man, reportedly in his 50s or 60s, cutting grass earlier.

“I said I hope he doesn’t fall in,” he said.

Cave and another employee, Steve Duerr, were working with heavy equipment along the canal adjacent to where the man fell in.

A little later Cave said he and Duerr heard the mower abruptly stop and when they went to look saw the mower in the water but not the man.

“We saw his wife looking for him,” he said.

Cave said it took them about four minutes to drive their truck around the canal to where the mower and man fell in.

He said the man was trapped by some bars on the professional-grade mower and was barely visible under the water in the midst of aquatic plants.

“He was a big guy, about 250 pounds,” Cave said.

Along with two police officers Cave said they managed to get the man out from under the mower and out of the water.

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