FOX 35 Care Force: Winter Park lifeguard recognized for heroic lifesaving efforts | FOX 35 Orlando
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FOX 35 Care Force: Winter Park lifeguard recognized for heroic lifesaving efforts

By and FOX 35 Digital Staff
Published  April 2, 2025 12:43pm EDT
FOX 35 Care Force
FOX 35 Orlando

FOX 35 Care Force: Winter Park lifeguard Nate Camacho

Today, the FOX 35 Care Force is recognizing Nate Camacho, who is the head lifeguard at the Winter Park Raquet Club. He was the good Samaritan who rushed to help and call 911 when an 80-year-old man drove into the retention pond in front of the club on a cold January morning.

The Brief

    • A Winter Park lifeguard was recently recognized by the FOX 35 Care Force for his role in a rescue.
    • Nate Camacho, head lifeguard at the Winter Park Raquet Club, flagged down help after he saw an 80-year-old man crash into a cold retention pond in the early hours of a January morning.
    • Officials said they believe the elderly man inside the truck may have suffered a medical emergency.

WINTER PARK, Fla. - A Winter Park lifeguard was recently recognized by the FOX 35 Care Force for his role in rescuing an elderly man.

The 80-year-old man's life was saved when Nate Camacho, head lifeguard at the Winter Park Raquet Club, helped to flag down help after he saw the man crash into an ice-cold retention pond in the early hours of a winter's morning.

But Camacho wasn’t just at the right place at the right time – it was his training as a lifeguard that had him spring into action.

Good Samaritan saves man from sinking truck

The backstory:

Camacho wakes up around 3 a.m. to get ready for his day.

At 5:30 a.m. on a cold January morning, Camacho just so happened to be prepping the tennis courts when he saw a truck veer off the road and splash into the pond next to the club.

Thinking fast, Camacho flagged down a nearby police officer.

"As soon as I saw it happen, I sprinted to the police vehicle to get her attention and knock on her door," he said. "I told her someone had just driven into the lake. I sprinted all the way across the courts and down to the lake area, trying to get the guys' attention. She met me there."

Officials said they believe the elderly man inside the truck may have suffered a medical emergency.

"As soon as the fire department got there, the truck started to sink, and he started to go under," Camacho said. "So, all the firefighters got into the water, and they took a wrench and started wrenching him out and breaking the back of the glass, as well."

What they're saying:

Camacho’s coworkers said they’re proud of his brave actions.

"He took the initiative," said Jennifer Ellinger, director of clubhouse operations at the Winter Park Raquet Club. "He got help. He was willing to jump in, which is what the lifeguards are trained to do. They’re the first responders when no one else is around to basically try to save a life."

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The Source: This story was written based on information gathered by FOX 35 reporter Amanda McKenzie in interviews with Nate Camacho, head lifeguard at the Winter Park Raquet Club, and Jennifer Ellinger, director of clubhouse operations at the Winter Park Raquet Club. 

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