COOPER CITY, Fla. – Two South Florida firefighters who are suing the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission after an airboat crash in the Everglades claim that they can't perform their jobs anymore because of their injuries.
"I get in the water to help her. Her leg is completely messed up," firefighter Herbert Tyler said.
Tyler referred to the moment Feb. 3 when he and Shawn Levine were involved in a head-on airboat collision with an on-duty FWC employee.
"I'm picking her back up, trying to help her in the boat, and the lady in the FWC boat wants to leave," Tyler said.
Tyler and Levine, both veteran firefighters, said their training kicked in and they were able to stay calm. Tyler suffered head and spinal injuries and Levine was ejected from the airboat and later taken to a hospital.
"They had to cut open my calf to get segments for my knee, which was completely blown open," Levine said.
Tyler said he tried to avoid the crash. FWC biologist Rachel Young steered straight into them at a high rate of speed, attorney Daniel Lustig said. Young said she turned to the left and saw Levine also turning to the left, according to a Broward Sheriff's Office report.
The BSO determined that the crash was accidental and no charges were filed. But the firefighters disagree and have filed a lawsuit against the FWC.
"No one has reached out to our office, not even via telephone call," Lustig said.
"You would hope that they would want to take actions for their wrongdoings," Tyler added.
FWC spokeswoman Katie Purcell told Local 10 News that she wasn't able to comment on the pending litigation.
While the lawsuit is still in the early stages, Levine said she's looking for someone to take accountability and at the very least offer an apology.
"I'm sorry that your life is completely in disarray, something, but we've been afforded nothing," Levine said. "It's completely affected my life, where I was able to work and have a life and go after my child and do certain things, where I'm struggling to get back to some normalcy."
Lustig sent a notice of claim to the FWC on behalf of the firefighters on Feb. 16. They estimated the damages at more than $500,000. After the FWC failed to respond, the firefighters filed a civil lawsuit in Broward County court.
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