Vero Beach waterways source of one teen drowning death and one horrific car accident in two separate instances
(Updated 5/2/2021) The network of canals crisscrossing Vero Beach, Florida, that feed into the Indian River Lagoon can be a great source of recreation and aesthetic beauty for the area, plus a beneficial storm drainage system for the area. But as many of those canals run directly alongside local roadways, they – and the lagoon – can also present a source of imminent peril for Indian River County residents. April 30 was a particularly dangerous day regarding our waterways.
Around 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Indian River County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Brianna Barcaro was traveling westbound on 16th Street approaching the intersection of 74th Avenue responding to a call for service. As she entered the intersection, she observed a silver Jeep in the roadway with driver’s side damage that appeared to be involved in a collision. She exited her patrol vehicle to assess injuries. As she began to approach the Jeep, she observed bystanders running towards the canal bank at the southwestern corner of the intersection.
Upside down in the canal was a black Nissan Murano that was partially submerged in water. Deputy Barcaro immediately jumped into the canal in waist deep water and went to the driver’s side door. Another bystander was already in the water. The deputy observed the bystander trying to open the passenger side door.
In the driver’s seat was a female that was trapped and struggling to keep her head afloat in the water. Deputy Barcaro was able to remove her seatbelt and pull her from the submerged vehicle. Additional deputies arrived on the scene and assisted Barcaro with pulling the driver out of the vehicle.
The cause of the collision is still under investigation. The Sheriff’s Office went on to report that the injuries sustained to the two occupants of the vehicle that flipped into the canal were minor.
Unfortunately, earlier in the day yesterday, an even more serious water-related incident resulted in a fatality when a student from St. Edwards School in Vero Beach jumped off one of the school’s docks and drowned in the India River Lagoon. The student has been identified as 18-year-old Bidensky Termidor.
“This is a tragic accident,” said Lt. Patrick White, adding that there did not appear to be anything criminal about the incident.
White said that Termidor jumped into the water, which is approximately 10 feet deep. He stayed under water for four to six minutes before being discovered. A fellow student pulled him up onto the dock where CPR was started.
Emergency Medical Services arrived on the scene and continued CPR while en-route to the Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital. Upon his arrival though, doctors at the hospital pronounced Termidor as deceased.
The following statement was released yesterday by St. Edward’s School and shared by WPTV:
Today we suffered a tragic loss of Bidensky Termidor, a beloved senior student. Please pray for our entire school community. We have expressed our deepest sympathies to the family in their time of grief and will remain in constant touch with them. The school has cancelled Middle and Upper School classes on Monday.
All faculty will be on campus. Students have the choice to be together on campus for support with each other and grief counselors, or to remain with their families. The school will have a service immediately after homeroom for middle and upper school students and their teachers.
For more on the untimely and tragic death of Bidensky Termidor, see the video accompanying this article.
(Source: IRCSO)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Follow Richard on Facebook and Twitter
