Firefighter Sherry Griffith was named the 2018 Boca Raton Fire Rescue Firefighter of the Year at a recent ceremony on March 1.
On the evening of May 20, 2018, Boca Raton Fire Rescue was dispatched to a water rescue involving a female swimmer in distress, with a male companion swimming out to assist her. Due to very rough seas and the location of the victims, the decision was made to attempt a beach rescue. Upon arrival, Firefighter Sherry Griffith, Lieutenant Mike Sember and Ocean Rescue Captain Tim Fry, entered the surf with a rescue paddle board and other basic water rescue equipment. Even though Firefighter Griffith was hindered by a full-length uniform jumpsuit, very rough surf and strong currents, she was the first rescuer to reach the victims. After quickly assessing the condition of both victims, she positioned the female on the paddle board and both victims were brought to shore. The female victim was transported to the hospital by Broward County Sheriff Fire Rescue personnel, and later released.
Additionally, on June 17, 2018, Firefighter Griffith was one of Boca Raton Rescue Services four female first-responder professionals who rowed a lifeguard rescue boat from Bimini, Bahamas to Lake Worth, Florida as part of a fundraiser event to find a cure for Cystic Fibrosis. During the crossing, she and her twin sister rowed in two-hour shifts. The crossing to the Florida mainland began at 1am and took all the next day to complete. Her and her sister hold sixteen national championships in Open Water Rowing.
Firefighter Sherry Griffith has devoted her life to public service working as a lifeguard and firefighter for most of her adult life. In 1995, she became a member of Boca Raton Ocean Rescue and then, 13 years later, she became a Boca Raton Fire Rescue Firefighter. Firefighter Sherry Griffith has also made a commitment to giving and benevolence. You can usually find her involved in a myriad of benevolence activities around the community.
Read more about the water rescue save in the Palm Beach Post.
