Sergeant Dives Into River To Save Woman

JACKSONVILLE, FL — A quick-acting Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office sergeant and three construction workers are credited with saving the life of a woman whose body was spotted floating in the St. Johns River on Tuesday afternoon.

According to the sheriff’s office, a call came in around 12:47 p.m. June 6 from a person concerned after spotting what appeared to be a body floating in the river south of Main Street. The caller reported the body was being pulled along by the current toward the bridge.

Law enforcement officers rushed to the scene and quickly confirmed what the caller had said.

“The body was heading south and the current was picking up,” the agency reported on Facebook Thursday. Wasting no time, Sgt. Billy Irvin jumped into the water to rescue the person without really knowing if that person was “alive or not.”

Irvin was able to swim out to the woman, whose body had been pulled to the middle of the river between the Hyatt and The Landing, at that point. After reaching her, he signaled that she was alive.

“A group of three construction workers saw what was going on and assisted Sgt. Irvin in recovering the victim from the water onto their boat,” the sheriff’s office noted.

The agency has not released the name of the woman, but told Patch the 29-year-old was Baker Acted following the incident.

To the construction workers, who also have not been identified, the agency extends its thanks for helping one of its own in a time of need.

As for Irving, “He is a hero to all of us and all the people who witnessed this going on,” the agency posted on Facebook. “So many citizens came up just to shake his hand, thanking him for his heroic efforts.”

With an estimated 42,000 deaths attributed to suicide annually, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists this as the 10th leading cause of death in the United States.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, there are resources available to help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433). Its website offers services including a live chat.

Photo of Sgt. Billy Irvin courtesy of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office