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Nurse tried to save man in gulf

She gave CPR until paramedics took over, but it was too late.

By ASJYLYN LODER
Published June 2, 2007

HERNANDO BEACH - His eyes were open, blue as the water that sunny Sunday afternoon before Memorial Day. But Jay Mitchell Chapman was long past knowing.

Lisa Bowman, a 42-year-old nurse from Spring Hill who had been out on the water with her family, looked at his face and knew it was too late. Then she looked at his eyes and kept trying.

"As I'm doing CPR, I'm thinking, 'Oh, my God. Don't give up. Does he have a wife? Does he have kids?' "

Bowman and two men kept trying to save the life of this stranger they found in the water off of Hernando Beach. Once they reached the shore, paramedics took over. But it was too late. Chapman, 45, was pronounced dead at Oak Hill Hospital.

Bowman said Friday that she wanted Chapman's family to know that he didn't die alone. "If there's any family out there, they should know things were done for him," she said. "People tried to help him."

It's still unclear how Chapman died. Preliminary autopsy results don't show that he drowned, said Gary Morse, spokesman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. He had no injuries. There was no damage to his personal watercraft. The final autopsy results won't be released for several weeks.

The Hernando Times has been unable to contact Chapman's family.

Bowman talked to several witnesses as well as the two men who also helped Chapman. She described how events unfolded on Sunday.

No one saw how Chapman ended up in the water. On a nearby boat, an off-duty deputy hadn't noticed him until his father pointed. "Hey! That guy's face down."

Two men leapt into the water to help. They dragged Chapman out, and began giving him CPR. The deputy pointed to a man on a water scooter. "You," he told him. "Go get me some help."

The man on the water scooter was Bowman's cousin. Knowing she was a nurse, he quickly found her where she and several friends had their boats tethered together. Someone needs CPR, he told her. She hopped on the scooter.

As soon as she saw Chapman, her thoughts went immediately to his family. "Somebody is going to have a tough night," she thought. But it's the rule of CPR that you keep trying.

She didn't get the name of the deputy and the other man who tried so hard to save him. "I hope there's people like them around if my family is ever hurt," she said.

The two men told her that when they dragged Chapman out, another boater said he'd been lying there for three or four minutes. She was horrified. Why hadn't anyone else helped?

Once they reached the docks, the paramedics took over. She heard the deputies on the shore checking the registration on Chapman's personal watercraft. Until then, she hadn't known his name. Jay, she overheard. His first name was Jay.

She caught a ride back out to her boat. When she got there, her husband said a man was looking for a friend he was supposed to meet. He described Chapman. Had anyone seen him? His name was Jay.

She told the man all she could. I'm sorry, she told him. She told him they tried.

Asjylyn Loder can be reached at aloder@sptimes.com or 352754-6127.

Fast Facts:

Boating safety tips

- Don't drink and operate a boat or vehicle.

- Wear a life jacket.

- Check the forecast before you go out.

- Keep a 360-degree lookout for traffic and weather.

- Check all safety equipment, like life jackets, fire extinguishers and distress signals.

- Make sure your boat and motor are in good working condition.

- Tell a responsible person where you are going, and how long you'll be gone.

- Carry a cell phone, and be sure your VHF radio is working properly.

- Don't overload your boat with people or equipment.

Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission

CPR classes

If you're interested in CPR classes, call the Red Cross headquarters in Citrus County at (352) 564-8455, or go to www.flcoastto coastredcross.org, and click on the link for Health and Safety.

[Last modified June 1, 2007, 20:46:05]