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Brevard County deputy who saved jet skiers nearly hit by cruise ship lauded as a hero, again

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — A Brevard County Sheriff’s Office deputy who pulled two stranded jet skiers from the path of an oncoming cruise ship on March 11, is being called a hero again.

Taner Primmer, a member of the BCSO SeaPort Security Marine Unit, was out eating with his family while off duty in Merritt Island when he heard someone in distress at a nearby table.

“As Deputy Primmer turned to check on the disturbance, he noticed a female attempt to stand up holding her throat and then collapsing to the floor,” Sheriff Wayne Ivey said on Facebook. “Deputy Primmer ran to her table and determined she was unable to breathe.”

The deputy immediately performed two abdominal thrusts and dislodged the food the woman was choking on.

In congratulating and praising Primmer, Ivey pointed out that this was not the first time the deputy saved a life by thinking, and acting, quickly.

“Now, in case the name ‘Deputy Primmer’ doesn’t sound familiar, he is the same deputy sheriff who, on Saturday, March 11, 2017, averted a tragedy by putting his own life in harm’s way to save the life of two vacationers who had fallen off a jet ski directly in the path of an oncoming cruise ship,” Ivey said.

Watch footage of the rescue below:

The women, Skylar Penpasuglia, 19, and Allison Garrett, 20, were in Port Canaveral on spring break when their jet ski overturned.

The wind pushed them and the disabled craft into the port channel and into the path of the Carnival Magic cruise ship, officials said.

Primmer, who was providing a security escort for the cruise ship, saw what was happening and quickly pulled his boat in front of the cruise ship and pulled the women to safety.

Ivey praised Primmer after the incident for putting his life in peril without hesitation, which likely saved Penpasuglia and Garrett’s lives.

“The harbor master pilot not only maintained communication with Deputy Primmer, but was able to safely veer the ship, which provided Deputy Primmer the extra seconds needed to save the young girls,” Ivey said.

Ivey congratulated, and thanked, Primmer again on Facebook for his service to the community.

“Taner seems to always be in the right place at the right time to save lives, and I ask you to please join me in congratulating Taner for his incredible efforts,” Ivey said.