Police officers rescued a boater Friday who was treading water in Lake Lotela while his fishing boat was circling around him.
Police got the call at 8:56 a.m. When they arrived, James Ussery, 51, had swam about 200 yards to shore, but the boat owner, David West, 52, was still threatened by the johnboat, which was spinning out of control.
"He wasn't as good a swimmer," said Officer Orlando Esquibel, who responded along with officers Vincent Forest and Angie Sanchez. Ussery was already tired, and couldn't go back for his friend.
West had asked Ussery to move because he couldn't see, but when he did, they were both on the same side of the small boat, which tipped.
Esquibel dropped his gunbelt and bulletproof vest and dove in with a plastic life disk, which he handed to West and then pulled him to shore.
"My guys were phenomenal yesterday," said Commander Mike Rowan.
Rowan called former Highlands County Sheriff Howie Godwin, who lives on the lake. Within five minutes, the former sheriff responded and brought in the boat, which by that time had run out of gas.
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