On the waterways off Sarasota, Florida, a distress call went out that would pull together the Coast Guard, Sarasota police, and fire and rescue units in a race against time. A man was found alone on his boat, injured, disoriented, unable to move. He had owned that vessel for less than 2 days. What the first responders found when they reached him, and what one deputy did to get to him is captured in full on this body cam footage. Multiple agencies are already in motion. Coast Guard on the radio. Sarasota police units heading toward the water and a drawbridge being opened specifically to allow emergency vessels through. At this point, very little is known about what happened. One person, one boat, and a report that something had gone badly wrong out on the water. The bridge is up. The clock is running. Heat. Heat. HEAT. HEAT. Let's go. Let me know. Do it. US 15 minutes in the water and give it a full contest. The opening of that drawbridge is not a small detail. It signals that this is being treated as a genuine emergency, not a minor incident. Sarasota police, Coast Guard, fire, and EMS are all pulling resources simultaneously. Somewhere out on that water, a man is alone on a boat and nobody yet knows exactly how badly he's hurt or how long he's been in that position. 515 bridge has opened their bridge and they're going to leave it open for you and Black Point bridge is opening for us now. 361 on the boat in rail fire. >> [music] >> What's up, man? [music] >> [music] >> access once you get eyes on it. Uh ascertain if the caller stop uh is appropriate to use because I got engine once we get the caller off the boat or the >> what's your address? >> We'll have to figure out where the carbo's going to take them. He's breathing. >> Yeah, he is. He's talking. I'm going to get him up. >> They are. >> Is the patient inside the boat? Have you gotten them off the boat? What's up? >> Coast Guard confirms it. One person on board. What they find when they reach Paul is immediately concerning. He is on the deck of the vessel, unable to reposition himself with visible trauma to his face. The first priority shifts from locating the boat to something far more urgent, assessing whether Paul has a spinal injury and doing it without the equipment they'd normally have on dry land. >> Yeah. >> Uh, Coast Guard Sarasota Police Confirmed. There's just one person on board over. >> No, >> copy that. 542. Sir, what's your first name? >> Are you just stuck in that position or can you not move? >> Notice the care here. Before moving him at all, the officer asks Paul orientation questions. Does he know the year? Does he know what city he's in? This is a rapid cognitive assessment standard protocol. When spinal trauma is a possibility, Paul knows his name. Beyond that, the answers are unclear. With no cervical collar immediately available on the boat, responders have to improvise and they have to be right. >> Okay, >> I'm going to try to pick your hips up and we're going to try to get you into a position where it can roll me over. Okay, >> I don't think >> I don't want to crank on his neck. Yep. >> All right. What's your name? [clears throat] >> Do you want to direct the rescue unit in the easiest way to get back here? >> Yeah, you can. >> Look up at me. >> Let's try to >> What happened? >> Did you pin this to the wall? >> Yeah, I just picked up the boat yesterday. >> Paul manages to communicate what happened. He took a significant wave, struck hard enough to send him down onto the deck of the boat. And here is the detail that puts everything in context. Paul had just picked up this boat the day before. He was test driving it for only the second time when the wave hit. In an instant, a new owner's first real outing on the water became a life-threatening emergency. >> You what? >> I took a big weight. >> You took a big weight? >> Yeah. >> Are you hurting anywhere? Neck or back? >> What did you hit? Just your your nose. >> Hey, this is the >> Does this hurt back? We got the patient right here. >> Is this hurt back here? >> Do you know what year it is? >> It's 2001. >> Hey, you know what city you're in? >> Landed location. We've got fire department. >> What's your name? 180 correction 183 Robert's [clears throat] on this way and an engine. [clears throat] >> Yeah. Just have him grab 71. >> That's the only way we're going to be able to get him up there. He's all dead right now. We can secure the boat. >> Yeah, we're pretty >> ground. >> So, we got something. >> Do you have another pair of gloves? >> Do you take any medication, sir? >> No. I want to look at his face, but I can't. >> I don't see any Tom other than either. >> Paul James Hudson, that's the name, now being radioed back to dispatch as the team works to stabilize him. His vessel registration, FL1830, Robert Edward, is also confirmed and relayed to the Coast Guard. Responders note he's not on any medications and has no known medical history. On the surface, Paul was a healthy man on a beautiful day on a brand new boat. None of that matters right now. What matters is his neck, his back, and the injuries visible on his face. >> Paul Hudson. >> Paul Hudson. Paul James Hudson. 326. >> Any medical problems, Mr. Hudson? >> Yeah, I just don't have a collar. >> Yeah, let's just roll them. We don't have a collar, so it's we're in a we're in a good enough situation they can document that. >> Mr. Hudson, we're gonna roll you on your back. Okay. >> Hey, Ben, you want to see if he's a member? >> Yeah. >> Yeah. And last name's Hudson. Hu. H U D S O N Paul Hudson. >> I can give you the FL numbers if you want them. >> Good. >> That's FL 1830 Robert Edward R. [clears throat] >> Do you have Do you have one or two people in your boat? Just you. It was just him. >> He says he was the only one in the water. >> Just got this boat yesterday. Try to relax. With Paul partially stabilized, the team is now communicating directly with medical direction, a physician or medical supervisor who is guiding treatment decisions remotely. This is the protocol when a patient is in a difficult to access location and full equipment isn't immediately on hand. The decision about how to move Paul and whether to wait for additional resources has to be made carefully. Moving him wrong could turn a bad situation into an irreversible one. So doc, we're in kind of a serious situation here. We're going to put a collet on him as soon as we get one up here and then we're going to stand on the way. He knows his name. I don't know. You need to call from I just whoever >> hook up to him. >> Yeah. >> What's that? >> Okay. Awesome, man. Yeah. Just stand by. I'll get it out to you. >> Here. I got this. Cuz you're going to be pulling me with you. I'm sorry. Got all the weight over here. make it over there. I'll trim up my motors, too. Just >> he said he took on a wig. >> Took on a big wig. >> Oh, >> yeah. First looks like the trauma. >> You have one more dock line. I can get the bow and I can just do >> Yeah. Here, I'll give you this. >> He said he doesn't take any medicine. >> Mr. Hudson, >> do you take medicines for anything? >> No, you don't take any medication. >> [clears throat] >> I think we're They can hit that dock and walk around. >> [clears throat] >> Maybe he's trying to figure out how to get Wow. >> I mean, the only thing is if you could slide it back here. What's that? >> Mr. Hudson, you know what year it is? Yeah, we grab your bowl. The cervical collar has arrived on scene and with it the ability to properly protect Paul's spine during the move. A backboard is prepared. This is the moment the rescue operation shifts from stabilize and hold to active extraction. Getting a grown man off the deck of a boat onto a backboard and transferred to an EMS unit on the water without a dock requires every person on scene working in coordination. Mr. Hudson, we're going to put a collar on you, okay? To protect your your neck and then we're going to get you off this boat on a backboard. Okay, >> they got one now. >> Chancy, we're good. Just get some gloves. >> Can you come on down here, buddy? Yep. >> This is day two with this new boat. >> So, uh, I was just test driving when it all came out. >> Did you say day two? >> Yeah. >> Have to go for a ride. >> Yeah, it was really nice out here. >> Pretty busy. >> Going to the bridge now. >> You got any lights on? Uh, no. Let's get hooked up Monday. >> That's how new it is. Little fiberglass work here later on, you know. >> All right. >> Yeah. I think I think what we're going to try to try to back out, >> but if you like if you lay it on the stern right here, kind of guide them up >> and then and then make >> [clears throat] >> hands down there. Even if all you >> This is the moment every responder on scene has been building toward. Paul is being moved carefully, deliberately from the position he's been trapped in since the wave hit. The collar is on. The board is ready. Multiple hands are guiding him. For Paul, this is the first time in what may have been a very long time that help has physically reached him. The water rescue is becoming a transport. >> Mr. son, I'm going to I'm going to get over onto your back. Okay, roll over onto your back. Keep rolling. >> Keep rolling. >> Okay. >> Okay. We're going to sit you up on this board over here. Okay. >> Put this foot down. >> Talking about the case. Yeah, >> thank you. Coast guard. >> I was speaking with your lieutenant. >> Sorry there, deputy. >> Here, a deputy explains exactly how Paul was reached in the first place. Spotting movement on the boat, the deputy made a critical decision. They drove their own vessel into Paul's drifting boat, pinning it against a wall, then jumped aboard and shut the engine off. Their bow took fiberglass damage in the process. The deputy describes it without hesitation. It needed to happen. That split-second call may be the reason Paul Hudson is alive right now. [clears throat] >> I got fiberglass work to do on the bow now, but it's all right. >> No, he came around. I didn't really I saw how slow he was moving. So, when he came around again, I just pinned him. Just smacked into him, pinned him against the wall. I got this. So I shut off my boat and jumped onto his and shut it off. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Just a little bow eye. I just Dean I was like he needs a little fiberglass work. He's like what? He's all worried. I'm like don't worry about it. It wasn't you. It was me. >> Oh yeah. So but he was in a precarious position in that boat laying down. Lots of facial damage there. >> Did you can you [clears throat] Yeah. You guys want to spike the power and leave it here or do you want us to move to the dock? >> Um, we'll leave it right here. Okay. >> Um, more than likely FWC will come. >> Then we'll have to work out. >> Let's see. No. >> I hope not. I'm just kidding. [clears throat] It looks like a white small white center console. It's got one engine. I can't tell but size probably around 20 25. Sheriff's got here. They've been the boat down. They're on the boat. It looks like uh can't tell the FWC or someone. Do you need my boat to stay here or am I clear to continue on Coast Guard? This is STO Sosito. >> Saraso police has the boat under control. EMS and fire also on scene. Overd. Can we confirm that there was only one person on board? >> I believe there's one person on board. Looks like EMS is attending to them now. Guard, are you able to confirm that and are you able to >> Paul James Hudson was extracted from his vessel, placed on a backboard with a cervical collar, and transported by EMS for treatment of his injuries, including significant facial trauma. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission was notified and responded to document the incident on the water. His boat was secured on scene. No criminal charges, no negligence, just a man, a two-day old boat, and a wave that changed everything. And a team of first responders who didn't stop until he was safe. If this is the kind of footage you want to see more of, hit subscribe. New body cam drops every