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Horrifying moment quadriplegic man plunges into water after boat structure collapses

The 30-year-old quadriplegic man from Florida was using a wheelchair ramp to get onto a boat when it collapsed, throwing him into the deep water and scrambling a quick rescue

[man falling into water]

Luckily the man was able to be rescued unscathed(Image: Martin County Sheriffs Office)

A man in a wheelchair had to be rescued from deep water after he fell off a dock in Florida.

The 30-year-old quadriplegic man was using a wheelchair ramp to get onto a boat, only for the ramp to collapse which sent him tumbling into the water.

Shocking video shows two bystanders rushing to help the man by pulling him and his 230 pound chair above the waterline.

Thankfully, an experienced captain was able to jump into the water and use a rope in order to stop the chair from sinking.

First responders arrived quickly after and were able to carefully remove him from the wheelchair and keep him afloat with an inflatable ring.

[man falling into sea]

The shocking footage shows the fall(Image: Martin County Sheriffs Office)

Officers then managed to hoist the bloke, who was lucky to avoid injury, of the water and onto the adjacent dock. In the video, which shows the aftermath of the incident, the man can be seen smiling and laughing.

According to the Daily Mail, his family have described the near miss as a 'learning lesson' on aquatic safety.

Speaking on the incident, a local deputy told American news channel NBC that the video exemplified how you always need to be prepared.

"The best advice I can give is just be prepared for everything, you never know when a tragedy is going to strike,' Deputy Mark Appler explained.

He went on to praise the brave first responders and good Samaritans who had jumped to help the drowning man.

[man falling into water]

The footage is terrifying(Image: Martin County Sheriffs Office)

Appler, who was one of the first responders who helped the man, explained what had happened.

We started realizing that the top harness that he had was still holding him in and started to choke him a little bit, Appler said.

The local sheriff's office also celebrated their actions, writing the following statement of their Facebook page.

'A frightening situation at Mariner Cay ended safely thanks to the quick actions of MCSO deputies, Martin County Fire Rescue, a Sea Tow captain, and two bystanders who refused to let a man slip beneath the water,' the post read.

"Thanks to the quick thinking and teamwork of the bystanders, the Sea Tow captain, and responding deputies, the victim was safely rescued and suffered only minor injuries".

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