OCALA, FL – On Thursday, October 3rd, Ocala Fire Rescue responded to reports of a vehicle in a pond within the Fore Ranch subdivision at 9:21 p.m. The call was triggered after residents witnessed a vehicle accelerate through an entry gate, strike the controlled access unit, and veer off the road into a retention pond. 

Engine 6 and Rescue 6 arrived at the pond behind SW 54th Circle to find Ocala Police Department officers breaking the glass of a compact SUV immersed in water. Firefighters approached the vehicle and helped the officers extricate its sole occupant.

The driver, who was suffering a medical emergency, was carried to a stretcher, evaluated, and transported to the hospital as a trauma alert.

No other injuries were reported. 

Battalion Chief 11, a Safety Officer, and Marion County Fire Rescue also responded.