Bonita Springs man, 83, saves landscaper from canal

Published: Updated:
Credit: Diane Choate

A former TV news anchor is used to reporting the news, not being it, but what he did for a man who fell into a Bonita Springs canal has made him a hero.

Luke Choate was relaxing by his pool when suddenly, “I heard screams and I thought something is probably happening. I walked out here and looked around and a guy was under a lawnmower, trapped under the lawnmower.”

A landscaper across the pond lost control and fell into a canal, the lawnmower falling right on top of his leg.

That’s when 83-year-old Choate went into life-saving mode.

“I jumped in from about this side of the bank and swam across to him.”

He said his wife and neighbors started to run after him but he didn’t think they’d catch up to him in time, so he dove right in.

“I wasn’t thinking about the alligators. I was just trying to get to him fast. I was afraid something had happened to his leg,” Choate said.

He got to the landscaper and was thankful that help arrived along the bank of the canal.

“He got out and walked away from the tractor, so we were happy to see that.”

Choate said he was just happy to help.

“We shook hands. Shouldn’t have, but we shook hands.”

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