Officer Justin Llaurado pulled a person with special needs to safety in the Intracoastal Waterway and now holds a county-level honor for it.

The Sunny Isles Beach Police Department announced Friday, July 24, that Llaurado was named Miami-Dade County Association of Chiefs of Police Officer of the Month for the water rescue. Elected officials presented the award, according to photos the department posted on its official X account.

The department did not release the date of the rescue or details about how Llaurado reached the individual.

A civilian helped, too

Llaurado wasn't alone. At a Sunny Isles Beach Commission workshop on Monday, June 22, the department honored both Llaurado and community member Michael Danilo Centeno for "helping save a life." That earlier, city-level recognition preceded the county award by about a month. Centeno's specific role in the rescue has not been described publicly.

At the same June 22 workshop, the Sunny Isles Beach Police Department and its Ocean Rescue Unit received the Certified Autism Center designation through the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards, known as IBCCES.

A busy stretch for water rescues

The Intracoastal Waterway runs through the heart of the Aventura and Sunny Isles Beach community, and the department's water operations stay busy. Lt. Melissa Porro told WPLG Local 10 in a July 15 report on drone-delivered flotation devices that the department had responded to 78 ocean beach rescues between Jan. 1 and July 15, 2026. Those figures cover beach rescues, not the Intracoastal specifically, but they illustrate the pace of water emergencies along the Sunny Isles shoreline.

The department's Ocean Rescue Division earned national certification from the United States Lifesaving Association in May 2026 after a comprehensive review of its policies, training programs and equipment.