Friday, June 22, 2012
"I did the same thing anyone else would do," 37-year-old Gus Hertz said after rescuing three people in two days. Hertz saw a car veer into Boca Ciega Bay and watched a plane crash into the water near the Skyway Bridge just 24 hours apart.
Some may see it as a greater power working miracles through Gus Hertz, who pulled a car crash victim from a submerged car one day and plucked two plane crash victims from the bay the next. Hertz sees it as plain luck. Hertz, who is visiting from Roanoke, Va., says he was in the right place at the right time, twice, calling himself a "lucky guy" for being nearby when a driver veered into the bay and a plane crashed into the water near the Skyway Bridge. Hertz rescued three people in two separate crashes, just one day apart. "I feel overwhelmed and amazed," Gus Hertz said after receiving the Heroic Citizen Award and key to the City from St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster and Chief James Large with St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue. On Thursday, …
Thursday, June 21, 2012
"It just hit so hard, it hit, turned and went over," 74-year-old Rodney Tyoe said after his ultralight plane crashed in the water near the Skyway Bridge one week ago.
Rodney Tyoe anticipated a day of joy rides with his family aboard his seaplane on Thursday, June 14 near Tierre Verde. Tyoe first offered to give his 13-year-old grandson a plane ride but the boy chose to swim in the gulf instead. So family friend Gina Zimmerman, 55, joined the private pilot. Tyoe felt it was safe to get in the air, so he checked the forecast and said the wind was silent during take-off. Within a matter of minutes, Tyoe knew the wind picked up. "This ain't good," said Tyoe, a former St. Pete firefighter. He decided to land immediately, lowering from 100 feet above the water to just 30. That's when he felt a rush of wind that flipped the plane, tail over front. "It just hit so hard, it hit, turned and went over," Tyoe said…
Thursday, June 14, 2012
"He didn't want any thanks," Lt. Joel Granata said to describe Gus Hertz' second water rescue.
When 74-year-old Rodney Tyoe, of St. Petersburg, lost control of his ultralight plane on Thursday afternoon, Gus Hertz was in the right place at the right time, again. The crash happened around noon just west of the Skyway Bridge. Hertz was fishing in a boat nearby, witnessed the crash, drove over and plucked the pilot and his 55-year-old passenger Gina Zimmerman from the overturned plane. Just 24 hours earlier, Hertz of Roanoke, Va., also happened to see a car crash occur from the window of his condominium off the Isla Key Bridge on 54th Ave S. Around 10:30 Wednesday morning he witnessed the driver of a BMW veer off the road, over the seawall and into Boca Ciega Bay. Hertz and fisherman Kevin Daly, of St. Petersburg, pulled the trapped …
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Two witnesses saved the driver's life, after his car veered off the road and over a sea wall near Isla Key Bridge, on 54th Ave S.
An unidentified driver was pulled from his submerged car this morning by two men after the vehicle swerved off 54th Avenue South in St. Petersburg, near the Isla Key Bridge. The driver is in stable condition after being rushed to Palms of Pasadena Hospital. Two men who happened to witness the crash say the driver was trapped inside the vehicle. Kevin Daly of St. Petersburg was one of the two witnesses who plucked the driver from the vehicle. Daly was fishing when he saw the car veer into Boca Ciega Bay, at about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. Daly told authorities he watched as the BMW veered off the side of the road, down the embankment and over the sea wall. Gus Hertz of Roanoke, Va., also happened to see the crash occur from the window of his …
Lori Rosso
8:33 pm on Thursday, June 14, 2012
Gus, you have what I call 'god points' you did what needed to be done and didn't need to be paraded for it. That in my book is HUGE. Thank you for your humanity in seeing what needed to be done and doing it and knowing within yourself you made a difference and didn't need anyone to tout it. Again, thank you, humbly, Lori more ›