‘He’s just pure Cortez.’ Community backs fisherman who was hit and dragged by truck

Despite the fresh wounds and grief, Cortez residents are quick to smile when asked about Freddy Gilliland, a beloved fisherman who endured “a magnitude of life threatening injuries” after he was hit and dragged by an irate driver, deputies said.

Deputies arrested David Lynn Nichols, 56, and charged him with attempted murder in the early-morning hours of Nov. 19. Hours earlier, Nichols got into an argument with Gilliland near the 4500 block of 101st Street West, down the road from the Cortez fishing village.

A witness heard “tires squealing and the sound of an impact” as Nichols drove his Chevrolet pickup truck into Gilliland, who was trying to walk away, according to a report from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities said he was dragged approximately 285 feet before his attacker left the scene.

Deputies found Nichols’ truck at a nearby mobile home park hours after the incident, and they arrested him at about 3:30 a.m. that day, according to the report. He pleaded not guilty to the charge of attempted murder two days later. While Nichols was still in jail on Friday afternoon, a flood of visitors continued to visit Gilliland.

For nearly two weeks, Gilliland has remained at Blake Medical Center with a damaged liver, multiple rib fractures, a collapsed lung and facial injuries. He also lost his right arm and spleen, the report continued.

“I think he’s doing a little better today,” Kim McVey, of Cortez Bait and Seafood, said Friday. “They said he was pretty responsive. When you asked him stuff, he could respond to you.”

While he chased a variety of fish and the occasional odd job, Gilliland primarily caught grouper, but his lifelong passion is now at risk, McVey said.

McVey also said she attended Manatee High School with Gilliland, now 61 years old, and that she watched him become a staple in the Cortez community. Residents described him as a jokester and a kind soul.

Many of those residents donated to “Friends for Freddy,” a fundraiser established by McVey on the GoFundMe website. As of Friday evening, she had raised more than $5,200 of a $10,000 goal.

“I heard somebody the other day say that if he had two hearts, he’d give you both of them,” McVey said. “He’s constantly bringing you something, doing something for you.”

Bob Slicker, general manager of the Swordfish Grill and Tiki Bar, said there was a flood of visitors at the hospital, a sign of Gilliland’s positive impact on the community.

“When someone was going up the elevator, someone was coming down,” he said, describing the hospital.

He met Gilliland 35 years ago and said his sense of humor was readily apparent. Gilliland was known for riding his bike around the village, greeting residents and, more often than not, sharing a laugh.

“He’s been in here during my managers’ meeting on a Tuesday morning,” Slicker said. “He rode his bike inside the dining room, told a joke and rode back out.”

He said Gilliland is all about fishing and community, two pillars of the local culture.

“He’s just pure Cortez,” Slicker said.