Last week, a local worker fell into a hole while sandblasting a barge near San Carlos Island, which set off a dramatic, multi-agency rescue. Crews freed him from the tight spot and rushed him to a local hospital.
It happened just after 9 a.m. on June 9, 2026. Fort Myers Beach Fire District received a call about someone injured and stuck inside a confined space on a barge off San Carlos Island, at 2020 Main Street. When firefighters arrived, they found the man in a lower part of a secondary barge, about 10 feet down, off the shore, with what looked like some traumatic injuries, including a possible broken arm.
Getting to him wasn’t easy. Fire officials said the worker’s position deep inside the barge meant crews had to squeeze through tight spaces and deal with deteriorating conditions. They relied heavily on their technical rescue training, working out a plan as they went…