SARASOTA COUNTY (WFLA) — Rep. Greg Steube continues to recover from a 25-foot fall outside his Sarasota County home last month.
“I still have clotting in my lungs from the puncture, so that is why I can’t be in D.C. It will be another three to four weeks before the doctors clear me to fly because of the clotting in the lungs. Every day getting stronger, and every day feeling better,” Steube said.
The lawmaker says he was trimming tree limbs that were there from Hurricane Ian, when he was knocked off of his ladder.
The congressman suffered serious injuries, including a concussion, a fractured pelvis, a punctured lung, and several torn ligaments in his neck. He spent three days in the hospital, including time in Sarasota Memorial Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit.
Rep. Steube received aid quickly that day. An Amazon delivery driver witnessed his fall and immediately jumped into action, calling 911 and staying by his side until the ambulance arrived. That driver’s name is Darrell Woodie, a Bradenton native. Steube says he was in the right place at the right time.
“It would have been ours before my wife would have realized that something would have happened. God put him there at the exact moment that he needed to be there to witness what happened so that he could jump into action, call 911, get paramedics there. I was on my way to the hospital before I even had any family members that knew what was going on,” Steube said.
In a show of thanks and appreciation, the congressman invited Woodie to be his distinguished guest at this year’s State of the Union address in Washington D.C.
“It was the least that I could do as an opportunity for him to be able to experience that,” he said.
Woodie spoke with 8 On Your Side the morning after the address.
“It was a once in a lifetime thing,” said Woodie.
The lawmaker and delivery driver only exchanged pleasantries during deliveries before the January incident. Now, they say they have a special bond for life.
“We certainly have developed a much deeper relationship, a much deeper understanding of each other’s spiritual calling from the Lord, and the blessing that he has been in being obedient to the Lord, and everything that happened that day. God’s hand was all over that. We obviously now have a bond for life,” said the congressman.
“I think that Steube’s got my back and I’ve got his back so whatever he needs, I’m gonna be there,” said Woodie.
