U.S. Coast Guard helicopter used to rescue man from St. Lucie Inlet jetty

Dec 16, 2024

MARTIN COUNTY − A man who fell from his personal watercraft Sunday was rescued from a jetty at the St. Lucie Inlet by being hoisted into a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter, officials said.

Joseph Baricklow, 53, of Lake Placid, fell from his personal watercraft in rough waters near the St. Lucie Inlet Sunday, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office stated on social media.

Baricklow was reported missing when witnesses found the abandoned personal watercraft in the water.

Sheriff’s deputies on their way to another call were notified about Baricklow, and began making calls to Coast Guard officials in Fort Pierce and Lake Worth, who sent a helicopter, Master Deputy Buddy Sprott said Monday.

“We called the watch commander that was working road patrol so he could start putting assets on the beach, meaning like ATVs, start patrolling the beaches. Because at this point we had no idea where this guy was,” Sprott said.

Deputies eventually spotted Baricklow on the jetty. Sprott, who was in a sheriff’s boat, said Baricklow was able to stand, but they did not know how fatigued he was, or what his mental or physical condition was.

Beach and boating conditions were hazardous in the area and a small craft advisory was put in place, the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Melbourne stated on social media. No one else was on the water, according to Sprott.

Sprott said the conditions were not ideal, and even if he drove the boat on the calmer side of the jetty the conditions did not allow him to get close enough to rescue Baricklow. He said he did not want to risk putting Baricklow in a more dangerous situation by having him swim out to the boat.

“It just made sense to utilize the assets that we had there and lean on our federal partners to hoist him off of there,” Sprott said. “That was the safest response that could have happened for everybody involved.”

Meanwhile, about 12:20 p.m, Coast Guard officials learned of a “personal locator beacon activation,” a release stated. The Coast Guard would not comment on the incident, directing inquiries to a news release.

“We are grateful this gentleman had a personal locator beacon to notify Coast Guard watch standers that he was in distress,” Lt. Cmdr. James Fennessey, an Air Station Miami MH-65 helicopter pilot, said in a release.

Because of the rough waters, the Coast Guard used a helicopter to hoist Baricklow from the rocks. He was taken to a hospital with minor injuries, the sheriff’s office stated.

Deputy Mark Appler said Baricklow was treated by the flight medic with the Coast Guard but he did not want to go to the hospital and refused treatment.

“He had some bruises and some lacerations to both legs from the rocks and the barnacles, but outside of that, he was just in really good spirits, too, so he didn’t feel like he needed to go to the hospital,” Appler said.

A sheriff’s report on the incident was not immediately available.