Lighthouse Helps Save Father and Son
By Sue Clark on Sep 8, 2008 in The Light Side 
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A 12 year old severely autistic boy and his father were swept 8 miles out to sea from Ponce de Leon Inlet, and are crediting the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse with helping them to stay focused while treading water in the shark infested seas for fifteen hours.The story at News Local Six tells of how young Chris Marino (who learned to swim when he was 3 years old) was caught in a current. His father, Walter, jumped in to save him, but both were carried eight miles out, where they spent the night treading water while hoping for a rescue.
Rescue came in the form of some fishermen, who saw Walter’s head bobbing. They brought him on board, radioed the Coast Guard and went looking for Chris. He was found about a mile from his dad’s location.
Marino said he used a lighthouse to remain floating in the area for searchers. “Without the Ponce Inlet lighthouse house we would not have found our way,” Marino said in the story. Both Marinos were treated for dehydration and jellyfish stings at a local hospital and released.
There is a video report of the rescue on the site. Well worth watching. It’s very heartwarming to have such a potentially tragic story turn out so well.
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