As the national news cycle continues its endless parade of turmoil and tragedy, it’s our honor and deepest pleasure to shine a light on the amazing accomplishments of both locals and visitors alike here in the Keys. Our islands are home to some of the most incredible human beings on the planet, and it’s a privilege to tell these stories and celebrate them.
- A local teacher felt the need for speed ahead of the Southernmost Air Spectacular as Marathon High School’s Rob Driscoll took a flight with the Blue Angels. Pulling more than seven Gs and speeding ahead to Mach 1.1, Driscoll may have lost his lunch – but gained a core memory for the rest of his life.
- Although the Keys boast an active manatee rescue program, brush fires that closed the 18-mile stretch forced a first-ever emergency overnight stay at Dolphin Research Center for a 9-foot male manatee suffering from a collapsed lung after a presumed boat strike. The manatee survived the night and was transported to SeaWorld for further treatment the next morning.
- Marathon-based FWC fisheries biologist Andrew Heise’s days in Boy Scouts came in handy in 2024 when he saved a man from a crocodile attack in the Everglades. Heise’s role in the rescue may not have made mainstream media reports, but the story made its way to Gov. Ron DeSantis, who in March honored Heise as one of 62 Florida Heroes – the first-ever recipient of the award from Monroe County.
- A pooch on his evening walk turned into a lucky rescuer for a rare leatherback turtle hatchling in a sticky situation. Stuck in a crack after hatching from a nest near Coco Plum Beach in Marathon, Rick and Candice Lee’s dog Sailor alerted them to the struggling baby. Brought to the Turtle Hospital in Marathon for evaluation, the healthy hatchling was successfully released later that evening.
- Upper Keys charter captain Joe Hall started 2025 with an act of heroism on New Year’s Day. Spotting a vessel in distress about seven miles off Key Largo, Hall’s day soon turned to a rescue mission as he and his 35 passengers rescued a man, woman and their 7-year-old son from their capsized boat.
- A harrowing video showed the moment FWC officer Shawn Turner saved swamped kayaker Michael Krevat on July 19 off Big Pine Key. Too exhausted to reboard his kayak, Krevat said he’d treaded water for around half an hour and was about to go under when Turner arrived on the scene, courtesy of a call from a shoreside Good Samaritan.
- Veterans in the Keys got the trip of a lifetime in September courtesy of Honor Flight South Florida. The program conducts one-day trips, flying senior defenders of freedom to Washington D.C. to visit the memorials in their honor. A sendoff at Dillon’s Pub and Grill in Tavernier brought locals together to honor 10 Monroe County veterans on their way to Fort Lauderdale.
- Against all odds, MCSO deputy Julian Garcia, who lost his leg in 2024 after a suspected drunk driver plowed into his patrol car during a traffic stop, climbed back into the driver’s seat for his first shift since the accident in late June. “He’s continued to impress me and others, continuing to achieve goals and objectives and proving to him and others he could make a comeback,” said Sheriff Rick Ramsay. “And he did make a comeback.”
