A woman in distress in a Jacksonville river was pulled to safety by a police sergeant Tuesday. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office posted to Facebook a photo of a drenched Sgt. Billy Irvin the moments after he saved the woman.
Police responded to the St. Johns River after a caller spotted what was thought to be a body floating in the water.
Sgt. Irvin jumped into the river and swam toward the woman and signaled she was alive, according to the Facebook post. The sergeant got some help from a group of construction workers on a boat. They were able to get the woman safely on the vessel, Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said.
"Sgt. Billy Irvin went above and beyond the call of duty," JSO said.
When Irvin got off the boat, he was greeted by so many people who wanted to shake his hand and thank him for his heroic efforts, police said.
"He is a hero to all of us and all of the people who witnessed this going on," said JSO.
