Collier County first responders honored for heroic acts during local chapter ceremony
Two firefighters who responded to a cardiac arrest during Hurricane Ian’s storm surge and a fire inspector returning to her office who dove into a canal to rescue a trapped woman were among those honored Wednesday.
About 50 people, including current and former law enforcement and first responders, as well as their families, gathered to celebrate current public servants’ heroic acts.
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The Sons of the American Revolution, which sponsored the ceremony, is dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history and teaching it to future generations.
The ceremony featured the induction of Robert Stiles, who worked closely with Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk at the sheriff’s office.
The group last celebrated the heroes in November 2020 and shut down for COVID-19, said Thomas Woodruff, director at the Naples chapter for the Sons of the American Revolution.
The event recognized eight Collier County law enforcement officers and first responders for their heroic acts since the last edition.
Trooper Gabriel Teruz of Florida Highway Patrol
Company Officer Kassie Borowski of Collier County Emergency Medical Services
EMT Lt. Chris Cardwell of North Collier Fire Rescue
EMT Firefighter Antonio Sannicandro of North Collier Fire Rescue
Sgt. Nicholas LoCasto of Collier County Sheriff’s Office
Corp. Kristen Foley of Collier County Sheriff’s Office
Sgt. Erik Nelson of Collier County Sheriff’s Office
Fire Inspector Kristen King of Greater Naples Fire Rescue
First responders share their experiences
Antonio Sannicandro, an EMT firefighter with North Collier Fire Rescue, had been on the job for eight months when he performed a heroic rescue along with EMT Lt. Chris Cardwell amid Hurricane Ian's storm surge.
Hurricane Ian made landfall Sept. 28 on Cayo Costa, pummeling Southwest Florida.
Sannicandro and Cardwell were north of Immokalee Road and east of U.S. 41 when they responded to reports of a possible heart attack.
Four feet of water covered the road by the time they responded, stranding a Collier County Sheriff's Office deputy whose SUV had flooded.
Sannicandro and Cardwell loaded patient and deputy onto their brush truck. Sannicandro rode in the back.
Although a large tree branch broke and landed on the back of the truck, inches from Sannicandro, all made it to Naples Community Hospital North with no other injuries.
"It was interesting," Sannicandro said of the rescue. "I was born and raised here in Naples. I've been through several hurricanes and never seen one like that before."
Sannicandro said he was shocked at the flooding.
"Instinct just took over, training took over and we did what we had to do to get the job done," Sannicandro said.
He emphasized how his tale is just one of many.
"All the guys on shift that day ... They all have their story," Sannicandro said. "They all did something."
Others recognized intervened in rescues as they saw them unfold.
On July 18, 2022, Kristen King, a fire inspector with Greater Naples Fire Rescue, was returning to her office from an inspection on Mainsail Drive. When she noticed other cars had pulled over, she slowed down and saw taillights in the canal.
King called for dispatch and ran to the canal. The small SUV was partially submerged with a broken driver's side window, sinking fast.
As bystanders watched from the canal bank, King swam to the driver's side of the SUV. By the time she made it there, the water was too deep to touch bottom.
She held the driver's side door handle to stay afloat as she began rescue efforts. The SUV's doors were locked, the driver shaken.
King determined no other passengers were in the SUV and focused on rescuing the driver. The driver refused to exit, saying she couldn't swim.
King removed the driver and got her ashore. She added it's all about the muscle memory.
"I wasn't afraid at all," King said. "I was just doing what I was trained to do."
King said between 15 and 20 minutes went by between her arrival on scene until she rescued the motorist.
"Just because you get someone out of the car, doesn't mean your job stops," King said. "You have to continue ... [You] have to make sure that there's nobody else in the vehicle. What if there's a baby in the vehicle?"
When the Collier deputies arrived, they helped dry off King, she said.
"They gave me blankets and sheets for my vehicle to make sure I wasn't gonna get my vehicle wet," King said.
Tomas Rodriguez is a Breaking/Live News Reporter for the Naples Daily News and The News-Press. You can reach Tomas at TRodriguez@gannett.com or 772-333-5501. Connect with him on Twitter @TomasFRoBeltran, Instagram @tomasfrobeltran and Facebook @tomasrodrigueznews.
This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Collier County first responders honored for heroic acts, saving lives
