INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A Vero Lake Estates man was jailed after deputies said he called 911, fabricated a story about crashing an airboat in Blue Cypress Lake overnight Monday and his girlfriend going missing. Deputies said Derek Ryan Howard called 911 dispatchers six times, said he was bleeding profusely and complained that first responders needed to “hurry up.”
Later, deputies learned neither Howard nor the woman were injured. Deputies also discovered Howard’s vessel did not crash, but was stuck in the mud.
“We had a good idea of where he was, but it was very difficult to get to him. Rescue airboats got stuck a few times and deputies had to dig them out of the mud,” said Lt. Kevin Jaworski, a spokesperson for the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office. “The whole incident took over six hours to get to him and return him to dry land. This put a strain on our staffing and resources having to dedicate manpower to rescuing him.”
Deputies said Howard gave conflicting accounts about what happened.
Derek Howard PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY INDIAN RIVER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
The ordeal caused a multi-agency response involving the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Coast Guard, Fellsmere Police Department, Indian River County Fire Rescue and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. First responders trekked through very thick marsh and gator-infested waters while in complete darkness to locate the vessel.
“Upon locating the boater, it was quickly determined that there was no crash, no missing passenger, and no injuries,” sheriff’s officials said in a statement. “Instead, the investigation revealed that the boater had simply run out of gas and concocted the story to expedite assistance.”
Howard, 44, was charged with misuse of 911 services and giving false information to a law enforcement officer. Howard was released Monday from the Indian River County Jail on a $1,000 bond.
Deputies responded to the marine call for service about 2:30 a.m. Monday at Blue Cypress Lake, located in western Indian River County. Howard told dispatchers that he believed he wrecked his airboat and that he was bleeding from multiple injuries, reports show.
When dispatchers tried to get more information, Howard made conflicting statements, saying he didn’t know if his girlfriend got onto another person’s boat or if she was with him before the crash, deputies said. Howard screamed to dispatchers that he was in pain, but would not provide more details on the extent of his injuries, officials said.
Howard also told dispatchers that he was naked in the marsh, reports show.
Two other people in separate airboats spotted Howard and his airboat stuck in the marsh. The boaters also found Howard’s girlfriend neck deep in the water, reports show.
The boaters gave the woman a ride back to Garcia’s Boat Ramp and drove her home. Deputies spoke with the boaters and the woman, who all said that Howard did not crash his boat, reports show.
“Howard was stuck in the mud in the marsh and uninjured,” deputies said.
The boaters said they tried to go back to help Howard but the conditions were unfavorable.
Deputies said when they found Howard, he appeared to be in good health, fully clothed and with no life-threatening injuries. Florida Wildlife Commission officials said the vessel had some minor damage but did not appear to be in a serious wreck, reports show.
Deputies took Howard to the Indian River County Jail.
Howard told investigators his airboat flipped on its side during the crash. Howard said he waded through the water and muck to flip the airboat back upright by himself, reports show.
“At the time and from experience, one person could not flip an airboat back upright if it was stuck on its side in the mud,” a deputy said in the arrest report.
Howard has an arraignment at 8:30 a.m. July 15, court records show.
“This incident is a reminder of the importance of responsible reporting to ensure emergency services remain available for true emergencies,” sheriff’s officials said.
Photos provided
