COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — Multiple Collier County first responders aided in the rescue of a lost paddleboarder in the Ten Thousand Islands Saturday afternoon.

A distressed paddleboarder called the Collier County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) at 1:42 p.m., reporting that he was lost in the remote expanse of the Ten Thousand Islands.

In response, the Marine Emergency Response Team activated a collaborative effort involving the CCSO Aviation Bureau, the CCSO Marine Unit, and the Greater Naples Fire Rescue District.

The CCSO Aviation crew quickly determined that the water was too shallow and muddy for a conventional boat rescue.

Two members of the Aviation crew were lowered to the ground. They secured the paddleboarder and hoisted him to safety aboard the helicopter.

The crew then took him to Port of the Islands, where he was handed over to Collier County EMS for a thorough evaluation.