Several fishermen and Florida residents in Hernando Beach are being commended for their work in helping a man after he was in a horrific crash.
Surveillance video captured the fiery on Friday that left Andy Biggart in hospital on a ventilator for the weekend.
In the video, the vehicle is seen crashing into a tree before flames erupt from the car.
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“It took my breath away,” Biggart’s brother Jim told Bay News 9.
Minutes later, several people are seen rushing up to the vehicle even as a fire rages.
Kathryn Birren of Nature Coast Marina, whose surveillance camera captured the crash on video, said many of the people who helped were fishermen who had not gone out on the water that day due to the cold.
The men and women attempt to help the man get out of the car, with Birren’s daughter-in-law grabbing a fire extinguisher from inside the marina.
“At that point, they were pulling at the door and started trying to put the fire out,” Birren told Storyful. “They were telling him he was going to be OK and keeping him calm.”
Florida Highway Patrol told Fox 13, a Fox News affiliate, that his car had slammed into the tree but did not elaborate on what happened.
After about four minutes, the fire department arrived and was able to remove Biggart from the vehicle.
Jim says his brother was taken to Tampa General Hospital in critical condition and originally was only known as “Sage Doe” until he was identified by family on Saturday.
A GoFundMe campaign started to help with medical costs states Biggart suffered from several multiple leg fractures, broken ribs and clavicle, burns to his arms, legs and hands, and other injuries. He is scheduled to undergo multiple surgeries and will be in rehabilitation for about a year.
He came off a ventilator on Monday, according to his brother, who says he’s “talking a little bit” and is his “old self.”
“My entire family will never be able to repay the debt to those people for saving Andy’s life,” Jim said.
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The campaign is seeking US$250,000 to assist in the various medical costs.
His brother says he’s not surprised, however, that a campaign was started.
“It’s not surprising, knowing Andy and the people who know him. He is everybody’s best friend. He is somebody that would do anything for anybody at any time,” he told Bay News.
“He’s going to fight. That’s the kind of person he is.”
The campaign was started by one of Biggart’s friends, Matt Manuel, and GoFundMe confirmed to Global News that it has verified the fundraiser.
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