On the morning of April 14, 2026, at approximately 9:45 a.m., two inmates from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office work release program, Brian Fernandez and Anthony Blackwell, were performing maintenance duties at Kefauver Park in Madisonville when they witnessed a serious emergency. While working near the pond, they saw a city employee rush into the water toward an overturned mower that had trapped another city employee underneath it.

Brian, Anthony, and a bystander immediately ran to the scene and worked together to free the trapped man. Anthony pulled him to the embankment, while Brian helped lift him out of the pond onto dry ground. The victim was not breathing and had no pulse, so a city employee immediately began CPR. The group continued performing lifesaving measures, including CPR and clearing water from the victim’s airway and stomach, until EMS arrived.

By the time emergency services reached the scene, the victim had regained consciousness, was breathing on his own, and was able to communicate. He was transported to the hospital for further treatment and observation.

After the rescue, Brian and Anthony stayed on scene to assist further, including helping recover the mower from the pond, and remained on duty until the end of their shift. When asked about their actions, Brian expressed relief that the victim was okay, while Anthony said he was glad they were there to help. Both men were thankful that their coworker would be able to return to his family.

Sheriff Tommy Jones praised the inmates, stating that their quick thinking and willingness to act made them heroes. He noted that the inmate work program not only saves taxpayer dollars but, in this case, helped save a life. Thanks to the bravery, teamwork, and selfless actions of everyone involved, what could have been a tragedy ended with a life saved. The injured city worker remains in the community’s thoughts and prayers as he continues to recover.