A Florida man jumped into a canal to save an unconscious mother and her three children after their SUV veered off the road. One week later, the mother finally got to thank him in an emotional hospital reunion. The crash happened on Feb. 8, 2026, in Indiantown when the mother, Shyeniqua Wilkins, suffered a seizure behind the wheel. Her three young children were in the backseat when the vehicle plunged into a canal. Casey Curtis just happened to be driving in front of the SUV when he looked into his rearview mirror and saw it veer off the road. Curtis quickly pulled over and dialed 911 before jumping out of his vehicle and rushing to help. “Once I got up to the fence area, I noticed that there was knocking, banging on the window, and kids screaming,” he told WPBF in an earlier interview.Wilkins’ oldest daughter, just 8 years old, held her two siblings above water while she screamed for help. Curtis quickly got the three young children out of the SUV and onto dry land before turning his attention to Wilkins. He held her head above water while first responders rushed to the scene. Wilkins and her three children were taken to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce, where the mother spent several days in the ICU. Incredibly, her three children were OK. A week later, Wilkins is recovering and feeling much better. She was able to meet the man she calls her hero on a Zoom call before he surprised her by showing up at the hospital. Reporter Rachael Perry spoke with Curtis and Wilkins about the day of the crash and what it means to finally meet.”Everybody kept asking me, did I remember? I kept saying, no. I remember driving from Indiantown. I don’t remember when the seizure started or any of that, because I’ve had a couple, but I never know when it’s going to start or something like that,” Wilkins said.Wilkins said she remembers waking up and being told what happened. A few days after the crash, she was finally able to see her children. “It was emotional. Every day it was emotional because I talked to them and they were like, ‘Mommy, I want to see you,’ and I wanted to see them too, but I couldn’t. I wasn’t well enough for them to see and stuff like that. So when we finally did see each other, they were kind of like, I don’t want to go away,” she said. As the days went by, she said she couldn’t wait to meet the man who saved their lives. “I’m so thankful and grateful for you. I know it’s because of you and God. You don’t want to be a hero, but hey, I’m sorry you’re the hero of my life. I just thank God for you now,” she told Curtis. Curtis said seeing Wilkins doing so well was the best surprise. “It’s a great feeling to see her alive and breathing and doing so well. I really, I was not expecting that. So it’s just, it’s fantastic. I wasn’t expecting it,” he said. Wilkins said she can only thank God and Curtis for giving her a second chance at life. “I’ve always been a believer in God, but I have stopped going to church and stopped talking to him. So this right here has just opened that back up for me. It’s just like, ‘Hey, I gave you another chance.’ Everybody doesn’t get a second chance at life, and he gave that to me and my kids,” she said. As for her daughter, who held her two young siblings while screaming for help, Wilkins said she couldn’t be prouder of her. “I’ve always told them, don’t be afraid. Don’t be scared. Run wherever you see. Go get help. Go get help. Go get help. Don’t ever be scared, and always protect your siblings. And she stood on that, and I’m so proud of her,” she said. During the Zoom call, Wilkins expressed several times how badly she wanted to thank Curtis in person. That moment came when he surprised her just two hours later by showing up at the hospital. Wilkins said it’s going to take her a while to get back on her feet, between medical bills and providing for her family. She said before the accident, she had been in the process of finding a permanent home for her family to settle down, and she is worried for what’s next. “I basically lost everything. I have nothing right now, not a car, not a whole lot. All these medical bills that are going to pile up on top of everything else. I just ask for help,” Wilkins said. For anyone wanting to help Wilkins during this time, the family has set up a way to donate.
A Florida man jumped into a canal to save an unconscious mother and her three children after their SUV veered off the road. One week later, the mother finally got to thank him in an emotional hospital reunion.
The crash happened on Feb. 8, 2026, in Indiantown when the mother, Shyeniqua Wilkins, suffered a seizure behind the wheel. Her three young children were in the backseat when the vehicle plunged into a canal.
Casey Curtis just happened to be driving in front of the SUV when he looked into his rearview mirror and saw it veer off the road. Curtis quickly pulled over and dialed 911 before jumping out of his vehicle and rushing to help.
“Once I got up to the fence area, I noticed that there was knocking, banging on the window, and kids screaming,” he told WPBF in an earlier interview.
Wilkins’ oldest daughter, just 8 years old, held her two siblings above water while she screamed for help.
Curtis quickly got the three young children out of the SUV and onto dry land before turning his attention to Wilkins. He held her head above water while first responders rushed to the scene.
Wilkins and her three children were taken to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce, where the mother spent several days in the ICU. Incredibly, her three children were OK.
A week later, Wilkins is recovering and feeling much better. She was able to meet the man she calls her hero on a Zoom call before he surprised her by showing up at the hospital.
Reporter Rachael Perry spoke with Curtis and Wilkins about the day of the crash and what it means to finally meet.
“Everybody kept asking me, did I remember? I kept saying, no. I remember driving from Indiantown. I don’t remember when the seizure started or any of that, because I’ve had a couple, but I never know when it’s going to start or something like that,” Wilkins said.
Wilkins said she remembers waking up and being told what happened. A few days after the crash, she was finally able to see her children.
“It was emotional. Every day it was emotional because I talked to them and they were like, ‘Mommy, I want to see you,’ and I wanted to see them too, but I couldn’t. I wasn’t well enough for them to see and stuff like that. So when we finally did see each other, they were kind of like, I don’t want to go away,” she said.
As the days went by, she said she couldn’t wait to meet the man who saved their lives.
“I’m so thankful and grateful for you. I know it’s because of you and God. You don’t want to be a hero, but hey, I’m sorry you’re the hero of my life. I just thank God for you now,” she told Curtis.
Curtis said seeing Wilkins doing so well was the best surprise.
“It’s a great feeling to see her alive and breathing and doing so well. I really, I was not expecting that. So it’s just, it’s fantastic. I wasn’t expecting it,” he said.
Wilkins said she can only thank God and Curtis for giving her a second chance at life.
“I’ve always been a believer in God, but I have stopped going to church and stopped talking to him. So this right here has just opened that back up for me. It’s just like, ‘Hey, I gave you another chance.’ Everybody doesn’t get a second chance at life, and he gave that to me and my kids,” she said.
As for her daughter, who held her two young siblings while screaming for help, Wilkins said she couldn’t be prouder of her.
“I’ve always told them, don’t be afraid. Don’t be scared. Run wherever you see. Go get help. Go get help. Go get help. Don’t ever be scared, and always protect your siblings. And she stood on that, and I’m so proud of her,” she said.
During the Zoom call, Wilkins expressed several times how badly she wanted to thank Curtis in person. That moment came when he surprised her just two hours later by showing up at the hospital.
Wilkins said it’s going to take her a while to get back on her feet, between medical bills and providing for her family. She said before the accident, she had been in the process of finding a permanent home for her family to settle down, and she is worried for what’s next.
“I basically lost everything. I have nothing right now, not a car, not a whole lot. All these medical bills that are going to pile up on top of everything else. I just ask for help,” Wilkins said.
For anyone wanting to help Wilkins during this time, the family has set up a way to donate.
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