FLORIDA – Just days after bravely jumping into shark-infested waters to help save a 9-year-old girl, a Florida construction worker is now facing deportation proceedings.
Luis Alvarez, one of the three men who rescued Leah Lendel after a shark attacked her off the coast of Boca Grande, was arrested in Immokalee and is now being held at the Collier County Jail. According to deputies, Alvarez was pulled over for driving without headlights and later taken into custody when he could not present a valid driver’s license.
From Hero to Detainee
Witnesses say Alvarez didn’t hesitate when Leah was attacked in shallow waters. He rushed into the bloody surf to fight off the shark, helping free the child and pulling her to safety.
“He jumped in the water to take the shark out of her hand,” said Raynel Lugo, another rescuer who was with him. “We act. It was pretty quick. We’re in the seconds. So he is just that kind of person.”…