Boca Raton Lifeguards “Oblivious” As FAU Student Nicole Farley Rescues Man Off Boca Raton Beach.
BY: ANDREW COLTON | Editor and Publisher
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2022 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — Boca Raton Lifeguards were “oblivious” to a man described as “Older” who was flailing and needing help off the water from South Beach Pavilion in Boca Raton mid-day Saturday. That’s when Nicole Farley, a 19-year-old junior at FAU, rushed into the water.
“I saw him there and I went out to help him,” said Nicole, exclusively to BocaNewsNow.com. “His face was going under the water. I turned him on his back and started pulling him diagonally to fight the strong current.”
Farley is a trained swimming pool Lifeguard but is not trained in ocean rescue. She said it didn’t matter. Someone needed help, so she sprung into action.
“I heard a young girl screaming ‘please help my Papi, please help my Papi,’ and I knew I had to do something. He looked like he was in distress.”
Nicole said she saw a few men also try to swim to the man, but gave up due to the strength of the current.
“They left me out there by myself,” she said. “But I did what I had to do to get this man back to the shore.”
Her strength and determination paid off. She pulled the man to the shore where her friends were finally able to get the attention of City of Boca Raton lifeguards who were apparently paying no attention to the man, Nicole, or the rescue.
“They were completely oblivious to what was going on,” she said. “One lifeguard finally came to the shore as I pulled the man. Another brought oxygen and then called for EMTs.”
The man was eventually rushed to an area hospital. His condition was not known late Saturday afternoon. The rescue is confirmed by images captured by beach cameras and City of Boca Raton dispatch records.
Farley is a biology major at Florida Atlantic University.
