Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Before joining the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Officer Robert Green was a lifeguard. That experience helped save a man’s life early Sunday morning near Memorial Park in Riverside.
Just after midnight, JSO received a call about a drowning person in the St. Johns River. District 5 patrol officers rushed to the riverbank and saw a man in distress being pulled downstream by the current. As one officer tried to throw a rescue line toward him, Officer Green removed his ballistics vest and gun belt and jumped into the water without hesitation.
Risking his own safety and knowing how fast-moving the current is in that area, Green swam to the man and brought him back to the bulkhead. There, fellow officers pulled the man to safety and cared for him until Jacksonville Fire and Rescue arrived. The man was barely conscious, confused, and had swallowed a significant amount of water.
Both JSO and JFRD have rescue boats, but Green recognized he could not wait for them to arrive.
We’re happy to report the man was treated at a nearby hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.
While we don’t know exactly how he ended up in the river, he was intoxicated and appears to have been leaving a night out at local bars.
This is a good reminder to drink responsibly.
Kudos to Officer Green and the District 5 officers whose quick actions likely saved this man’s life.
Before joining the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Officer Robert Green was a lifeguard. That experience helped save a man’s life early Sunday morning near Memorial Park in Riverside.
Just after midnight, JSO received a call about a drowning person in the St. Johns River. District 5 patrol officers rushed to the riverbank and saw a man in distress being pulled downstream by the current. As one officer tried to throw a rescue line toward him, Officer Green removed his ballistics vest and gun belt and jumped into the water without hesitation.
Risking his own safety and knowing how fast-moving the current is in that area, Green swam to the man and brought him back to the bulkhead. There, fellow officers pulled the man to safety and cared for him until Jacksonville Fire and Rescue arrived. The man was barely conscious, confused, and had swallowed a significant amount of water.
Both JSO and JFRD have rescue boats, but Green recognized he could not wait for them to arrive.
We’re happy to report the man was treated at a nearby hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.
While we don’t know exactly how he ended up in the river, he was intoxicated and appears to have been leaving a night out at local bars.
This is a good reminder to drink responsibly.
Kudos to Officer Green and the District 5 officers whose quick actions likely saved this man’s life.
