Jacksonville police say a quick, decisive rescue by Officer Robert Green saved a man from drowning early Sunday morning near Memorial Park in Riverside.
Just after midnight, officers were sent to the St. Johns River after a caller reported someone struggling in the water. When District 5 patrol officers reached the riverbank, they saw the man being carried downstream by a strong current. One officer tried to reach him with a rescue line, but it wasn’t enough.
Officer Green, who worked as a lifeguard before joining the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, immediately shed his ballistic vest and gun belt and dove into the river. Knowing how dangerous the current is in that stretch, he swam out, reached the man, and pulled him back toward the bulkhead. Other officers helped bring him out of the water and began caring for him until Jacksonville Fire and Rescue arrived…