What began as a peaceful hike through the CREW Bird Rookery Swamp in Collier County turned into a life-threatening situation when a woman accidentally stepped on a 7-foot alligator during a “wet walk.”
The gator clamped down on her arm and leg, fracturing her tibia. The two people with her were able to pull her out of the water and call 911. Collier County dispatchers receive hundreds of calls a day, but sometimes the details given over the phone arenโt enough. In this case, dispatchers used new tools that allowed them to pinpoint the groupโs location and even video chat with them in real time.
โWe had an idea of where they were located, but with this feature, we were able to send a location request, essentially a ping to their cell phone,โ said Amy Tuff, communications manager for the Collier County Sheriffโs Office. When the friends opened the link, their exact latitude and longitude were shared with dispatchers. Soon after, another link opened a live video chat room. That allowed dispatchers to see the womanโs injuries and direct first responders more accurately.
โWe were able to see the patient and the injuries that the patient had, and exactly where they were on the trail. So better location information that we could give to fire and EMS while they were trying to find the patient,โ Tuff said.
Within 30 minutes of the initial call, crews reached the woman and took her to safety. The sheriffโs office says this was the first time the video chat feature was used in a live emergency. If you ever need it, dispatchers say you can ask for a link to share your location or start a video chat.
