Save a life, get arrested.

[CBL4]

A San Marcos man was arrested after rescuing a swimmer from the swirling waters near a restaurant on the San Marcos River over the weekend.

Police say Dave Newman, 48, disobeyed repeated orders by emergency personnel to leave the water. The police report does not mention Newman's rescue of 35-year-old Abed Duamni of Houston on Sunday afternoon.
...
According to the report, Newman smirked and seemed annoyed by officers' requests. He stood in the water for about 15 seconds before swimming downstream, to avoid the turbulence from the waterfall, and across the river to the officers, the report said.

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/3252707

CBL

 

[Manny]

I saw that story. Something stinks about it. The one guy who got safety fences removed and a swimming restriction lifed happens to be the guy who interferes with a rescue operation in progress by going freelance? There's got to be a backstory here a mile high and wide that the story's not telling us about.

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Police say Dave Newman, 48, disobeyed repeated orders by emergency personnel to leave the water.

A non-story. Move along.

 

[shanek]

From the story:

A San Marcos man was arrested after rescuing a swimmer from the swirling waters near a restaurant on the San Marcos River over the weekend.

Police say Dave Newman, 48, disobeyed repeated orders by emergency personnel to leave the water. The police report does not mention Newman's rescue of 35-year-old Abed Duamni of Houston on Sunday afternoon.

"Eh, let's just leave out that little detail. It's not important that he was SAVING A GUY'S LIFE."

"I was amazed," Newman said after getting out of Hays County Law Enforcement Center on $2,000 bail Monday morning. "I had a very uncomfortable night after saving that guy's life. He thanked me for it in front of the police, and then they took me to jail."

After being handcuffed and put in a Texas State University police squad car, Newman was taken to jail and charged with interfering with public duties.

I'd love to know what those rat-bastards were thinking. I guess he was supposed to obey orders like a good little citizen and just let the man drown?

After reaching Duamni, Newman said he swam with him under a waterfall and deposited him on the shore opposite the restaurant. He could hear law enforcement personnel telling him to come back to the shore by the restaurant.

According to the report, Newman smirked and seemed annoyed by officers' requests. He stood in the water for about 15 seconds before swimming downstream, to avoid the turbulence from the waterfall, and across the river to the officers, the report said.

"Hey! You on the far shore! You weren't supposed to be swimming here! Swim back here THIS INSTANT!"

"When he came across the river, the officer stuck out his hand like he's going to help him out of the water, and he put cuffs on him," said the Rev. John Parnell, pastor of St. Augustine Old Roman Catholic Church in Fort Worth.

According to the police report and witness accounts, the crowd that had gathered to watch the rescue was upset when they saw the police arrest Newman.

Parnell and another man blocked the police officer's path to the squad car while other members of the crowd yelled at the police, telling them Newman had saved Duamni's life and should not be arrested.

Excellent!

When Duamni got out of the water, he saw Newman in handcuffs and asked who he was. "I said, 'What's the deal,' and the police said, 'He got you out,'" Duamni said.

Oh, sure, that explains everything...

 

[shanek]

I saw that story. Something stinks about it. The one guy who got safety fences removed and a swimming restriction lifed happens to be the guy who interferes with a rescue operation in progress by going freelance? There's got to be a backstory here a mile high and wide that the story's not telling us about.

Um, how about, he wanted it lifted because he goes there a lot, and since he goes there a lot he's more likely to see a person drowning there?

Or, it could all be a conspiracy.

Occam's razor, people.

 

[Manny]

Oh, that's a possibility, Shanek, I don't discount that. But still: Guy raises a stink to get swimming area reopened. Someone promptly drowns. A few months later, someone else is stuck and on his way to drowning. This time there's a trained rescue team on the scene. But wait! Here's the reopen the water guy! Ignoring the obviously incompetent team which surely would have failed in its rescue attempt, he leaps into the water and singlehandedly made the save! Whee-doggie, what a hero.

Nah. Something's fishy (hah!). In fairness, the stench could be coming from the TSU side -- they're probably feeling a little pissed off that they lost their campaign to close it and may be wanting to score some points. All's I'm saying is that there's a backstory here that could be a NBC 3-part miniseries. I'm not saying I know how it ends.

 

[shanek]

Oh, that's a possibility, Shanek, I don't discount that. But still: Guy raises a stink to get swimming area reopened. Someone promptly drowns. A few months later, someone else is stuck and on his way to drowning. This time there's a trained rescue team on the scene. But wait! Here's the reopen the water guy! Ignoring the obviously incompetent team which surely would have failed in its rescue attempt,

Where does it say he did that?

Nah. Something's fishy (hah!). In fairness, the stench could be coming from the TSU side -- they're probably feeling a little pissed off that they lost their campaign to close it and may be wanting to score some points.

Could be, could be. Why else would they deliberately left off the fact that he saved a guy from the police report?

All's I'm saying is that there's a backstory here that could be a NBC 3-part miniseries. I'm not saying I know how it ends.

Could be.

 

[Manny]

Where does it say he did that?

Last two paragraphs of the story.

In 1999, Texas State University, which owns the dam and the land around it, erected a fence to prohibit access to that part of the river. Later that year, the City Council enacted a swimming ban on that portion of the river. But Newman led a successful campaign to get the fences around the swimming hole removed and the ban relaxed.

In April, 22-year-old Jason Lee Bonnin, and a Texas State University student, drowned after he and three other restaurant workers jumped from the eatery into the river.

 

[TragicMonkey]

Why didn't the approved-by-authorities rescuers get into the water, too? Did they decide to rely on the freelance random guy to save the other guy, and not be at risk of drowning himself? I would have thought that they'd go ahead and at least approach both of them, and you know, use all their vast swimming powers to prevent either from drowning.

The story makes it sound like they stood there and yelled at the guy, rather than doing anything themselves. How could he be interfering with their work when they weren't doing anything?

 

[shanek]

Last two paragraphs of the story.

I was talking about your accusation that he ignored " the obviously incompetent team which surely would have failed in its rescue attempt." Where does it say they were already trying to rescue him when Newman made his attempt?

 

[shanek]

Why didn't the approved-by-authorities rescuers get into the water, too? Did they decide to rely on the freelance random guy to save the other guy, and not be at risk of drowning himself? I would have thought that they'd go ahead and at least approach both of them, and you know, use all their vast swimming powers to prevent either from drowning.

The story makes it sound like they stood there and yelled at the guy, rather than doing anything themselves. How could he be interfering with their work when they weren't doing anything?

Actually, I don't see any reference at all to rescue workers in the story. It just mentions the police:

After reaching Duamni, Newman said he swam with him under a waterfall and deposited him on the shore opposite the restaurant. He could hear law enforcement personnel telling him to come back to the shore by the restaurant.

There's nothing in the story that says rescue workers were even there at the time.

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

I'd love to know what those rat-bastards were thinking. I guess he was supposed to obey orders like a good little citizen and just let the man drown?

I suppose in Libertobia, under the rule of President Badnarik***, they would be arrested for doing their jobs, just like the zoning authorities and the IRS agents.






***President Badnarik

 

[RandFan]

I suppose in Libertobia, under the rule of President Badnarik***, they would be arrested for doing their jobs, just like the zoning authorities and the IRS agents.






***President Badnarik

You know, I'm begining to get the idea that you are not a fan of Badnarik.

 

[Checkmite]

Sorry to ruin your "people hating the cops" high, but this idiot deserved what he got. There were obviously some rescue workers on scene (which is why the article says "emergency personnel" and not just "the police"), and this guy simply ignores them, complicating any proper, coordinated effort and threatening to become another victim.

But "oh, he saved a life" (taking a colossal leap and assuming the person would have drowned if he weren't there). Great, let's not say anything, so that in the future any over-confident twirp can feel free to disobey public safety officials as long as he "thinks he could do the job better".

The guy whose life he "saved" thanked him already. Why does he expect anything less than a lack of appreciation from the rescue workers whose jobs were made harder?

And of course, after this incident should've shown this moron just how very real the danger in this location is, he probably still thinks anybody should be allowed to swim there. Does he plan on being there constantly, all the time? He obviously doesn't think professional rescue workers are capable of saving anyone.

 

[renata]

It is too early to know details of this case, but tentatively I agree with Joshua. When I was training as a lifeguard, we were warned most about helpful bystanders. Quite often you just have to save several people instead of the one victim. That can interfere with actual rescue efforts, and endanger the emergency personnel. Sadly, even with best intentions, people who do not know proper techniques can become victims. There is a case in the news right now about it
http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/07/05/rip.tide.ap/index.html

Officials said Carlos Reyes, 35, of Marlboro, Massachusetts, and about 10 other people went into restricted waters around 6 p.m. Monday after Reyes' son was swept away by a strong undertow in waist-deep water.

When authorities arrived, all 12 people were stuck in the current. Officials rescued 10 of them, including Reyes' son. But Reyes and Alex Tapia, 26, of Worcester, Massachusetts, were pulled unconscious from the water and pronounced dead.

Now rescuers had to rescue 12 people instead of one. Of course I am not saying that people should do nothing if someone is drowning- but if there are qualified people around, the best anyone can do is get out of their way.

 

[Kiless]

Sorry to ruin your "people hating the cops" high, but this idiot deserved what he got. There were obviously some rescue workers on scene (which is why the article says "emergency personnel" and not just "the police"), and this guy simply ignores them, complicating any proper, coordinated effort and threatening to become another victim.

But "oh, he saved a life" (taking a colossal leap and assuming the person would have drowned if he weren't there). Great, let's not say anything, so that in the future any over-confident twirp can feel free to disobey public safety officials as long as he "thinks he could do the job better".

The guy whose life he "saved" thanked him already. Why does he expect anything less than a lack of appreciation from the rescue workers whose jobs were made harder?

And of course, after this incident should've shown this moron just how very real the danger in this location is, he probably still thinks anybody should be allowed to swim there. Does he plan on being there constantly, all the time? He obviously doesn't think professional rescue workers are capable of saving anyone.

Agreed. I'd heard of several members of a family drowning after one kid got caught in a rip... then older brother tried to save her... then father tried to save older brother who was also caught.... by that time, no one could successfully save the father either....

 

[TragicMonkey]

It is too early to know details of this case, but tentatively I agree with Joshua. When I was training as a lifeguard, we were warned most about helpful bystanders. Quite often you just have to save several people instead of the one victim. That can interfere with actual rescue efforts, and endanger the emergency personnel.

Yes, but in this particular case, did the guy jump in after the rescue people arrived, or before?

I can't really see standing around waiting for official help to arrive before taking action.

 

[Kiless]

Yes, but in this particular case, did the guy jump in after the rescue people arrived, or before?

I can't really see standing around waiting for official help to arrive before taking action.

Well, there's a variety of ways you can help without putting yourself at risk. I'd say just jumping in is silly, if that is what has happened. There's not enough detail in the story. Throwing in a floatation device, coordinating to get a branch out to them or a rope, making a chain of people (or is that just getting more people in trouble like in Renata's story? 12 people, making a chain.....argh!)....I'm not a lifesaver but I recall these as being a few methods that should be preferred.

 

[Manny]

I was talking about your accusation that he ignored " the obviously incompetent team which surely would have failed in its rescue attempt." Where does it say they were already trying to rescue him when Newman made his attempt?

Another of the stories which turned up on a Google News search talked about an EMS team which was 'assessing the situation' or 'trying to clear the area
or somesuch.

 

[shanek]

Sorry to ruin your "people hating the cops" high, but this idiot deserved what he got. There were obviously some rescue workers on scene (which is why the article says "emergency personnel" and not just "the police"),

I don't know about where you are, but most places the police are considered "emergency personnel" because they respond to emergencies. The only actual players mentioned, though, in the demands for him to leave etc. are law enforcement officers. There's not one word about any rescue workers.

But "oh, he saved a life" (taking a colossal leap and assuming the person would have drowned if he weren't there).

Well, considering that's what the victim says...

The guy whose life he "saved" thanked him already. Why does he expect anything less than a lack of appreciation from the rescue workers whose jobs were made harder?

What rescue workers? Point to them.

And of course, after this incident should've shown this moron just how very real the danger in this location is,

One guy almost drowning is proof that an area is dangerous enough to be sealed off???