Florida Rep. Steube gives first public talk after fall from roof, ICU visit in Sarasota
Florida’s U.S. Rep. Greg Steube walked in on crutches to a press conference Thursday to thank the medical staff at Sarasota Memorial Hospital his first public appearance since falling 25 feet off a ladder at his home in Sarasota last month.
Steube said he fell while while cleaning up debris from Hurricane Ian on his roof in Sarasota on Jan. 18.
The congressman spent three nights in the hospital, including one the intensive care unit, and was diagnosed with a fractured pelvis, a punctured lung and several torn ligaments in his neck.
“It was a blessing that the Amazon driver was there to witness everything,” Steube said.
“I was cutting the limb with a chainsaw it fell, hitting the extension ladder and knocking me up into the air, probably more than 25 feet, and I fell straight to the ground.”
The delivery driver saw the fall and called 911. Steube later invited the man, Darrell Woodie, to be his guest at the State of the Union address in Washington, D.C.
The congressman on Thursday expressed much gratitude Woodie and his doctors and nurses, calling them “unsung heroes.”
“Every day they go to work saving lives in our community,” Steube said. “You don’t hear about it on TV, and they need to be recognized for the work they do and the lives they save.”
The congressman spoke before hospital workers and others who have been treated at the trauma center, including high-wire circus performer Nik Wallenda.
Steube also brought gifts from the Capitol, including a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol building and a special coin.
Jennifer Sweeney, trauma program manager for Sarasota Memorial, was one recipient of the gifts.
“The physicians, the nurse practitioners, and the physician assistants all did an amazing job,” she said. “I have enormous pride in this team. I’m happy to be here to support them.”
Steube has not returned to Washington since the fall but is expected to do so once he is medically cleared after March 1. He hopes to be back at work by March 22.
He said he hopes to make a full recovery by June, in time for the annual Congressional Baseball Game.
Steube, 44, represents the 17th district of Florida, which includes all of Sarasota and Charlotte counties and parts of Lee County. He was appointed to the Ways and Means Committee and the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government.
The attorney and Bradenton native served in the Florida House of Representatives and Senate before his election to federal government in 2018.
This story was originally published February 16, 2023 at 2:22 PM with the headline "Florida Rep. Steube gives first public talk after fall from roof, ICU visit in Sarasota."
