You never know when a pleasure cruise could turn into a rescue mission! Samantha Conover and her family were pulling their pontoon boat into the public boat launch after having a sunset dinner on Lake Thonotosassa in Florida when they ran into Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Kevin Reich. The officer had been conducting routine surveillance when a woman asked him for help locating her boyfriend, Christopher Snow, and his 13-year-old daughter, Alexis Snow. The father and daughter were missing after going out on a jet ski earlier that evening.
Samantha and her husband quickly offered the use of their boat to look for them. Deputy Reich climbed on board, and after 40 minutes of searching the shore line they heard frantic calls for help in the middle of the lake. Body cam footage shows the emotional rescue as the boaters carefully approach them in the water, then pull them to safety.
The jet ski had sunk in the middle of the lake, and Christopher and Alexis had been treading water for an hour. Both were wearing life jackets, which likely saved their lives, but Christopher’s wasn’t fitted properly. The sheriff’s office hopes their story reminds boaters to always wear a properly-fitted life jacket and tell someone where you’ll be, and when to expect you back.
Samantha insists they’re not heroes, but their actions speak louder than words! Watch the video below to see the emotional rescue with your own eyes.
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