Two Florida International University researchers who became stranded in the Everglades after they were ejected from an air boat were rescued by Broward firefighters Wednesday.
Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue officials said the reserachers were several miles south of Interstate 75 near Mile Marker 42 when the airboat started having mechanical problems.
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WATCH HEREOne of the researchers was investigating the problem when the airboat sudenly took off, ejecting both of them and continuing onward, officials said.
Fire rescue crews began searching for the researchers by air with two helicopters and with multiple airboats, and the pair were soon located.
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One researcher was unhurt but the other, a 29-year-old woman, suffered a leg injury and was airlifted to Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale for treatment. She was expected to be okay, officials said.
"The Everglades offers rescuers some unique challenges. The terrain and the wildlife can be relentlessly unforgiving and the urgency to quickly locate and transport a lost or injured victim can not be overestimated," Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Michael B. Kane said in a statement. "Time is always a consideration when performing rescue operations but even more so when dealing with the impending night time conditions and wildlife in the Everglades. As for this rescue, we were fortunate to compete the rescue before nightfall."
