Rescue at the Marina: An Unexpected Encounter

At 72 years old, Bill Von Herbulis doesn’t let life in a wheelchair stop him from daily fishing and working on his crab traps at the marina close to his home in Florida. However, on September 27, he became the one needing rescue.

Sergeant William Leven is set to receive a Lifesaving Award for jumping into shark-infested waters during feeding time to rescue him. He carefully lifted Von Herbulis over sharp oyster shells and barnacle-covered dock pylons to safety.

The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office shared a video of the rescue on social media, commending their swift-thinking sergeant. When it comes to fishing, Von Herbulis stated simply, “I was back the next day.” His wife, Lori, chuckled, noting, “He doesn’t miss.”

Bill’s Daily Routine

On that day, just like any other, Von Herbulis began his journey to the marina at his condominium in New Smyrna Beach. He maneuvered his electric wheelchair with a wagon full of fishing and crabbing supplies in tow. Typically, he spent his evenings fishing solo, especially when his wife was out.

At the dock, he pushed his cart with fishing poles and tackle past the boat slips to his favorite spot. The evening’s fishing was rather uneventful, and as the sun set, he began to pack up.

For safety reasons, he wasn’t supposed to be on the dock after dark. That particular night was quieter than usual, void of other anglers or sunset admirers. Just him, the gentle waves, and rising tide.

As he was heading home around 7:30 p.m., his gear caught on a dock box, causing his wheelchair to tip over.

Von Herbulis fell into the water, and to make matters worse, his cellphone, his connection to the outside world, went in with him. Yet, he remained calm. “I looked up and swam to the surface,” he recounted.

Managing to grab hold of an electrical conduit pipe sticking out from between the boat slips, he found it just in reach thanks to the high tide. “It was the only thing that was clear of barnacles or oysters,” he explained. Despite his circumstances, he shouted for help, but it seemed no one was around to hear him.

With each passing moment, he cried out for assistance, hopeful his wife would realize he was overdue when she returned home. “Am I gonna have to wait here all night?” he thought.

Just when things appeared bleak, an angler arrived, noticed the splashing, and saw him gripping the pipe, though a locked gate hindered his approach. “He didn’t have a key to get in, but still, he was our angel,” Lori said.

That angler called 911, reporting a possible drowning. By about 9 p.m., Leven and Deputy Boris Rodriguez rushed to the scene at the Minorca condominium community.

They discovered the overturned wheelchair and found Von Herbulis struggling to keep afloat. Bodycam footage showed Leven stripping off his gun belt before entering the water with a sheriff’s buoy. Navigating around the hazardous oyster shells and barnacles, he tossed the buoy to Von Herbulis while managing to retrieve a floating bag of his belongings.

With help from bystanders, deputies assisted Von Herbulis out of the water and up the nearby stairs. He declined medical attention and, once back in his electric wheelchair, made his way home feeling grateful.

Shark Safety and Awareness

As of September 2026, there have been 44 shark bites reported globally this year, with Florida noted as having the highest frequency of shark encounters in the U.S. Notably, a surfer was bitten just before Von Herbulis’s rescue, not too far from where he had fallen into the water.

Experts recommend swimming at safer times, like avoiding dawn and dusk, and always having a buddy nearby. Yet, Von Herbulis, who has encountered sharks before while fishing, wasn’t overly concerned. He jokingly mentioned that he had “made a clean dive” and avoided injury on the sharp barnacles. “After all, there are sharks in that water, but they didn’t want me,” he added with a chuckle.