The Galveston Fire Department is committed to providing the highest level of public safety services for the community. We will protect lives and property through:
Firefighters don’t just battle fires
The man and woman walked along the jetty at 51st Street one morning a couple of Fridays ago. They were close to the slippery part of the rocks near the water. Suddenly, a wave reared up and swept them off the jetty and into the foamy water.
Neither were good swimmers, and they struggled in the waves and tried to swim against the rip current toward shore. They tired quickly and began to lose forward momentum.
Their legs sank, and they struggled separately to keep their heads above water as their arms moved in the infamous “climbing-the-ladder” motion that is a last-ditch effort to get a few more breaths before submerging below the rough, churning surf.
It looked like they would not live through the experience.
A report from the fire department sums up what happened next:
“A man in a brown suit recognized the two swimmers were in grave danger and sprang into action. He ran to the end of the jetty and threw the jetty buoy toward the female swimmer. He had asked for others to call 911. When Engine 7 arrived moments later, they found the two swimmers going under water and tumbling in the waves.”
Another fire department report states:
“Fire crews observed two swimmers in distress near the end of the rock groin. Firefighter Duepner grabbed a rescue throw disc from the fire engine and deployed it to one swimmer. The engine crew used it to pull this swimmer to safety.
“The other swimmer was drifting away and out from us as we arrived with a full bag of floats and rescue equipment. A rope bag was thrown as well as other discs from the end of the rock groin, to no effect … the swimmer was being hit (by) a set of large waves and was going under numerous times.
“Firefighter Cangelosi put on his life vest and readied to enter the water. At this point, the swimmer had made contact with a jetty life ring that had been thrown before our arrival. The swimmer made use of this to remain buoyant.”
From here, Capt. Tony Pryor from the beach patrol and firefighter Cangelosi entered the water and made a joint swim rescue of the woman. EMS checked out both people, and they ended up being OK. Tony told me later both would be dead if not for the quick thinking and brave actions of the firefighters.
Our fire chief, Jeff Smith, is not only a friend, but a team player and a great guy to work with.
He said: “The Galveston Fire Department works with the beach patrol in the Galveston Marine Response program that provides for a unified, multiagency response team in times of crisis. The Galveston Marine Response teams were formed to provide the highest level of safety and response to all water emergencies.”
One thing is certain. Increased coordination between agencies and the heroic actions of fire fighters saved two lives.
Story by Peter Davis, Galveston Beach Patrol
