Outside reviewers say broken window and opened rear door hastened the SUV’s descent; the fire chief cites new training and policy changes.
RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. — An outside review says Riviera Beach firefighters made critical errors while trying to rescue a 53-year-old man from a sinking SUV on April 22, 2024, causing the vehicle to submerge before they could free him. Video shows the car drifting in a canal as crews arrive and the attempt quickly unravels.
The 155-page assessment, commissioned by the city and conducted by a Miami-based safety firm, lands more than a year after the drowning and as the man’s widow pursues legal action. Investigators concluded crews lacked formal open-water training and did not set up basic safety roles before entering the canal. The fire chief says the department has since launched water-rescue and swimming programs and updated policies. The case has prompted scrutiny of how often Florida first responders train for vehicles in canals and retention ponds, a recurring hazard around South Florida.
Cellphone video from bystanders shows the SUV floating as firefighters wade in. Reviewers wrote that a window was shattered and a rear door was opened during the attempt, actions that allowed water to rush in and destabilize the vehicle. Within seconds, the SUV lurched, filled and slipped beneath the surface while firefighters retreated to shore for air before resubmerging to search. The victim, identified by family members as Heath Thomas, had suffered an apparent medical episode moments before leaving Garden Road and entering the canal, according to investigative summaries. “I thought they were doing everything they could do for him,” his wife said later, recalling how she first learned of the scene from officials.
The report says the preferred tactic in a slow-sink scenario is to secure the vehicle with lines from the bank, guide it toward shore, and keep rescuers on the surface with proper flotation until the car is stabilized. Reviewers said the team entered open water without a safety diver, line tender or rope tie-offs, and without confirming members’ open-water qualifications. Several firefighters interviewed described being deeply shaken by the death and said they had long requested water-rescue training due to the city’s network of canals. The medical examiner’s narrative provided to the family initially noted crews’ “best efforts,” but the independent findings later detailed training gaps and procedural lapses. City officials have not released a public tally of how many personnel have completed the new training.
Riviera Beach Fire Chief John Curd ordered the outside review after senior firefighters in other departments questioned the tactics seen on the video. In statements since, Curd has said the department rewrote relevant policies, launched formal water-rescue and swimming instruction, and designated a full-time swimming officer to oversee readiness. The assessment credits first responders for acting urgently but faults the absence of a standardized open-water plan. Similar canal incidents are not rare in South Florida, where multilane roads border drainage canals and retention ponds; agencies often rely on cross-trained dive teams or surface-rescue units to stabilize vehicles before breaking glass or opening doors underwater.
The drowning occurred at midmorning near Garden Road, a corridor lined by commercial sites and waterways. Witnesses told investigators the driver appeared dazed but upright in the SUV as it drifted. Firefighters broke glass to reach him; moments later a rear door was pulled and water poured in. The SUV disappeared beneath what bystanders described as dark, murky water. Crews made repeated efforts to find the vehicle and the victim, but he was later pronounced dead at the scene. A timeline in the review plots those steps minute by minute, noting when the initial 911 calls came in, when units arrived, and when the vehicle went under. Specific time stamps for each action were included in the internal records examined by reviewers.
Training and certification are now central to what happens next. The widow’s attorney said a notice of intent has been sent to the city, a step that often precedes a wrongful death complaint. If a lawsuit is filed, it would test whether sovereign immunity limits apply and whether alleged negligence over training or tactics can overcome those limits. City officials say policy changes are already in place, but did not provide numbers on completions or dates for department-wide proficiency checks. Any further state inquiry, including from fire service regulators or workplace safety officials, would focus on whether the department’s new standards meet recognized open-water rescue practices.
At the canal bank where the SUV sank, the scene has returned to routine traffic sounds and the ripple of nearby aerators. A small bouquet appeared there days after the report was released, according to neighbors. “Every minute mattered out there,” said a nearby worker who watched the video later. A firefighter interviewed in the assessment said the crew “went in to save a life and relives that day,” the report notes. The widow, who described her husband as a devoted father and construction manager for the Palm Beach County School District, said she wants answers, not just apologies. “He was coming home from work,” she said. “That was the plan.”
The city says water-rescue training is underway and additional details will be provided in coming weeks. A potential lawsuit could be filed after required notices run their course. As of Thursday, officials had not announced a public briefing or released a training roster. The independent review remains the most detailed account of what happened and the changes promised since.
Author note: Last updated November 20, 2025.