Roanoke man saves lives in Florida

The ultralight plummeted tail first into the water in an area known as Indian Key.

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By: WFLA, Media General news service | WSLS
Published: June 14, 2012 Updated: June 14, 2012 - 5:49 PM

ST. PETERSBURG, FL --

Two people were injured today when their ultralight plane crashed into the water south of St. Petersburg, and they were rescued by a fisherman who saved a motorist the day before, firefighters said.

Rodney Tyoe, 74, and his passenger, Gina Zimmerman, 55, both of St. Petersburg, had taken off about noon from a strip of beach in Tierra Verde and reached an altitude of 100 feet when the aircraft began having trouble, said Lt. Joel Granada, a spokesman for St. Petersburg Fire Rescue.

According to Tyoe, an experienced pilot, the wind began affecting the aircraft and he descended to 30 feet when the wind flipped the aircraft, Granada said. The ultralight plummeted tail first into the water in an area known as Indian Key.

Gus Hertz, of Roanoke, Va., a fisherman who was watching the ultralight, picked up Tyoe and Zimmerman and took them to O'Neill's Marina in south St. Petersburg, Granada said.

Hertz also was one of two men who pulled a driver to safety from his submerged BMW Wednesday morning after it was driven off the Pinellas Bayway in St. Petersburg. Hertz had seen the crash from his condo.

Search and rescue crews arrived and picked up Tyoe and Zimmerman from Hertz, Granada said.

One of the crash victims was taken to Bayfront Medical Center for treatment and the other was being evaluated, Granada said.

Arrangements are under way to remove the aircraft from the water, Granada said.

St. Petersburg Fire Rescue plans to honor Hertz with a "Citizen's Heroic Award" in November.

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