One of the fastest ways to convince me not to go swimming has been to tell me there’s an alligator in the water. Throw a few snakes into the mix, and I’m suddenly perfectly content staying on dry land forever. Apparently, that survival instinct isn’t universal.
That’s because deputies in Flagler County, Florida, say they had to jump into a canal known for snakes and alligators to rescue a man who fled from them, only to begin struggling in the water before fighting the very deputies trying to save him. Somehow, that wasn’t even the only bizarre arrest deputies made over the Fourth of July weekend.
According to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, deputies handled 1,310 calls for service, conducted 222 traffic stops, and made 15 arrests between July 2 and July 6. One of those arrests began as a welfare check before turning into an exhausting rescue mission.
Deputies say they initially encountered 47-year-old Ryan McMinn lying shirtless outside Wadsworth Elementary School. When they approached to check on him, he must have been more afraid of the police than the alligator because he took off running on foot.
He Was More Afraid of Deputies Than the Alligators
The official Facebook post by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office above states that they eventually located McMinn near a canal behind the residence. Instead of speaking with deputies, authorities say he ran straight into the water and began swimming away.
Despite repeated commands to come back to shore, deputies say McMinn refused. However, he looked like he was really tired and in danger of drowning.
So, the police on-scene tried to pull him to safety, but McMinn responded by pushing and pulling away, trying to force one deputy underwater while grabbing another by the neck. Deputies eventually gained control of him and brought him safely back to shore before he was transported for medical clearance and later arrested on two counts of battery on a law enforcement officer.
Honestly, if I heard the words “snake-and-alligator-infested canal,” you’d probably see me setting a personal best in the opposite direction. Even more interesting, the holiday weekend wasn’t finished there.
The Fourth of July Weekend Stayed Weird
Deputies say they later arrested 40-year-old Nicholas Blaisdell after receiving a report of an intoxicated man wandering around a Publix parking lot searching for his vehicle.When they arrived, they found Blaisdell sitting inside his running vehicle.
He then attempted to drive away, weaving through the parking lot before pulling back into the exact same parking space where deputies had first found him. The report says that Blaisdell struggled to maintain his balance, smelled strongly of alcohol, refused field sobriety exercises, and later refused a breath test after being arrested for DUI.
Blaisdell had already encountered deputies earlier that same day after being trespassed from a nearby gas station because of his behavior. Deputies also say he threatened an officer while at the jail, telling him he would punch him once the handcuffs came off.
Commenters Couldn’t Decide if It Was Brave or Bonkers
Some commenters focused on the danger deputies willingly stepped into. One person wrote, “Couldn’t there be gators in there??!!?😲😲. Thank you, brave officers, who every day risk your lives to protect and serve others, even the lawless ones. I commend you, Flagler County Sheriff’s Office🙏🏼💖🙏🏼,” while another admitted, “I’d never have jumped into that water!!!”
Others couldn’t resist making jokes. One commenter suggested deputies should have “tossed him an inflatable raft and wished him good luck,” while another quipped that maybe McMinn “identifies as a fish” after diving into the canal.
Not everyone found the situation funny, though. One local warned that these canals can be deadly, recalling someone they knew who entered a similar waterway and never made it back out. Another questioned whether deputies should have entered the canal at all, suggesting they could have used a rope instead.
Whether people viewed the rescue as heroic or unnecessary, most agreed on one thing: swimming away from deputies through a Florida canal full of snakes and alligators probably wasn’t the escape plan anyone would recommend.