A man who played a crucial role in rescuing a young girl from a shark attack is now facing deportation after being detained by authorities on June 14.
Just a few days before, on June 11, nine-year-old Leah Lendel was enjoying an afternoon of snorkeling off Boca Grande, Florida, when she was suddenly attacked by a shark.
Leah came close to losing her hand in the frightening incident. Fortunately, due to the emergency service workers’ rapid response in airlifting her to the hospital, surgeons managed to save her hand from amputation.
Reflecting on the terrifying experience from the hospital, Leah shared with reporters: “I was just snorkelling, and then I went up to breathe. Then something hard bit me and tried to tug me away. I looked at my hand, and it was covered in blood. I started screaming for my mom.”
In addition to medical professionals, several good samaritans on the beach at the time rushed to assist, including Luis Alvarez.
Witnesses reported that Luis, 31, was the first to dive into the water to help Leah.
Raynel Lugo, another individual who assisted Leah, commented on Luis’ brave actions: “He jumped in the water to take the shark out of her hand.”
Raynel described his friend as ‘just that kind of person’.
He told Gulf Coast News: “He’s a great guy. He’s always talking good stuff about the family, you know, fighting to get a better life for his family, working so hard and being in this country.”
However, in the days following Luis’ selfless act, he was stopped by police in the early hours of June 14 for reportedly driving without headlights, according to an arrest warrant.
Upon further investigation, officers discovered that Luis was driving without a license, leading to his arrest. He is currently being held by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Luis has reportedly been in the US for over two years and has never possessed a driving license during this time.
The reasons for his detention by ICE are still unclear. Immigration attorney Ricardo Skerrett indicated that Luis is authorized to work in the US.
“He is someone with a work permit that is legally authorized to work here in the United States, is told by police for driving without a license,” Skerrett explained.
“I don’t know why this person is being detained by ICE if he had a work permit, unless he has a criminal background.”
Luis has a court date set for July 9.