Florida’s surgeon general saved the day after state Sen. Ileana Garcia fainted midway through a press conference, springing into action and catching her before she fell.
The scary scene unfolded Tuesday as Garcia joined Gov. Ron DeSantis and other lawmakers onstage in Miami to discuss plans for a statewide ban on water fluoridation, according to Local10.com.
But midway through her remarks, Garcia (R-Miami-Dade) suddenly swallowed hard and stopped speaking.
Sen. Ileana Garcia was rescued by Florida Surgeon General Joseph as she fainted onstage Tuesday. AP“Governor, forgive me, I’ve got to sit down, because I am not feeling well,” she said, before her eyelids dropped and she toppled from her feet.
But waiting in the wings was Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, 46, who leaped from his seat to the stage within moments and caught Garcia before she could crash to the floor.
“Hey, hey, hey, hey, got you, got you, got you,” Ladapo said, before slowly easing Garcia into a chair.
The senator remained seated while the Sunshine State’s top doc tended to her, as others, including DeSantis, brought her water and fanned her as she gathered herself.
Amazingly, within minutes, she was back on her feet, and took the podium again, to applause.
“Are you kidding this was my moment? I could not,” she said to laughter from the audience. “Nerve-wracking, but this was my moment. And I so appreciate your grace, Governor DeSantis.”
She finished speaking without a hitch and left the stage to more applause.
“Guys, can we just get another round of applause to Ileana Garcia,” said Miami-Dade Commissioner Roberto Gonzalez when he took the stage next.
“Absolutely nothing is going to stop that woman from fighting for the people of Florida,” he added.
