Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Cops, firefighters stand by and watch as California man drowns
Hotair ^ | 06/04/2011 | Allahpundit

Posted on 06/04/2011 12:46:44 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

Not just cops and firefighters, either. Spectators watched too, including his elderly stepmother, who was too frail to dive into the water herself.

It took an hour.

Weaver noted that a 2009 policy – revoked this week – prohibited firefighters from participating in water rescues. The policy was implemented after budget cuts ended water-rescue training. OK, I counter, but surely some first responders had been trained before 2009. Weaver’s answer: Yes, but they lacked the right equipment.

Weaver assured me that the firefighters who were on the scene feel horrible about what happened. “Every one of our members who was on that scene wishes that the policy would have allowed them to do something at some point,” he explained.

Any firefighter who broke with policy could have landed in a world of bureaucratic payback. That’s the problem. No government worker in America gets fired for following the rules.

As Russo put it, “We need an approach toward public service that is less rule-bound and more willing to take risk.”

That’s Debra Saunders, wondering whether the PD and FD would have been as respectful of bureaucratic rules if it had been a kid out there drowning. Cops note that there was no way to tell whether Zack was armed and dangerous, but of course that’s true for almost anyone attempting suicide. A guy sitting on a bridge rail is as likely to be concealing a weapon as this guy was, yet police will still try to grab him if they can. The city’s not buying the excuses, in any event: Given the national outcry over what happened, they’ve already decided to relax the policy against water rescues.

Wondering how the body was brought back to shore, incidentally? Turns out … a bystander decided to swim out there and get it, once Zack finally went horizontal in the water and started floating face down. Exit question: Isn’t this story just a darker, more tragic version of this one?

CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR THE VIDEO


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Government; US: California
KEYWORDS: budgetcuts; california; donutwatch; drowning; police
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-94 last
To: DainBramage
Tell the whole story....the guy was in waist deep water threatening to drown himself, a suicidal person the most dangerous rescue you can do.

That's what Tasers are for. Then folks wouldn't have had to stand around for an hour and watch.

81 posted on 06/04/2011 6:48:15 PM PDT by PAR35
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Gondring
Well, you're the one who seems to want higher costs, because when you want to have a policy of your personnel going out and doing stupid stuff, you can expect higher insurance rates and higher required compensation. That's called the free market.

It's quite sad when the object is saving a human life and all you can think about is costs. I'm sure you will be quite pleased with Obamacare where everyones life will be balanced against costs.

82 posted on 06/04/2011 9:58:11 PM PDT by Prokopton
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: DainBramage
Im sure you wold have swam out alone with no floatation devices and wrestled with him till he gave out and let you drag him to shore. (/snort-at-the-dumbass)

I sure hope I would have, but I guess that's just the sort of "dumbass" I am.

83 posted on 06/04/2011 10:04:58 PM PDT by Prokopton
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: Prokopton
It's quite sad when the object is saving a human life and all you can think about is costs.

Ah, expressed in classic lib style! You guys are wonderful at spending OPM, but I'm going to venture a guess that you haven't given a single dime donation to them out of your own pocket!

I'm sure you will be quite pleased with Obamacare where everyones life will be balanced against costs.

On the contrary...I'm not the one who wants to spend OPM.

84 posted on 06/04/2011 10:11:44 PM PDT by Gondring (Paul Revere would have been flamed as a naysayer troll and told to go back to Boston.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 82 | View Replies]

To: Gondring
Ah, expressed in classic lib style! You guys are wonderful at spending OPM, but I'm going to venture a guess that you haven't given a single dime donation to them out of your own pocket!

Yeah right, protecting human life is very "liberal".

If you mean "donate" to public safety employees, yeah, I "donate" every two weeks.

You apparently want to get rid of all public safety employees because they are paid for by "OPM". If they are the type of people who would watch someone drown without even trying to help them, I would probably have to agree.

85 posted on 06/04/2011 10:37:07 PM PDT by Prokopton
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 84 | View Replies]

To: DainBramage

The fire captain also told a reporter from KGO that if it was a child drowning he would save the child if he was on duty but would follow regulations while on duty (let the child drown).

Take your allmighty regulations and shove em. Your a gutless coward if you sit by and watch someone drown cause your worried about your job. You took an oath to protect and serve.

The drowning guy would not have been a threat to anyone swimming out to help him. The water was 54 degrees! He was in there for an hour. Completely numb!


86 posted on 06/05/2011 4:08:48 AM PDT by hillarys cankles
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: DainBramage
He swam out and drowned himself.

No, he died of hypothermia. No one who WANTS to die stands there for an hour. He wanted to be rescued - to know that someone cared enough for him to make a move.

Sure glad you don't do counseling on depressed people.

87 posted on 06/05/2011 6:29:17 AM PDT by raybbr (People who still support Obama are either a Marxist or a moron.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Prokopton
Yeah right, protecting human life is very "liberal".

You're not talking about protecting human life. You're talking about pointing the finger at others and demanding they do it.

If you mean "donate" to public safety employees, yeah, I "donate" every two weeks.

I'm going to venture a guess that you are paying your legally mandated taxes and referring to it as donating--while complaining that others don't voluntarily break (go beyond) the law and/or policy...at their own expense.

You apparently want to get rid of all public safety employees because they are paid for by "OPM". If they are the type of people who would watch someone drown without even trying to help them, I would probably have to agree.

Privately run rescue might allow them to afford to balance their budget.

88 posted on 06/05/2011 7:18:45 AM PDT by Gondring (Paul Revere would have been flamed as a naysayer troll and told to go back to Boston.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 85 | View Replies]

To: SeeSac

“How many?”

74 out of 79 passengers and crew, if my source (Wiki) is correct.


89 posted on 06/05/2011 7:28:39 AM PDT by PLMerite (Shut the Beyotch Down!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: raybbr

Read the article...he was suicidal. helps to know what youre talking about ray.


90 posted on 06/05/2011 7:40:35 AM PDT by DainBramage
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 87 | View Replies]

To: SeeSac

hypothermia killed him, not drowning. he would have become weak and disoriented...they could have dragged him out easily then. this isn’t rocket science, the guy had no weapons. it’s murder, or dang close to it.


91 posted on 06/05/2011 7:54:18 AM PDT by tioga (2012 - the year Obama gets slapped down....coming soon.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: DainBramage
Read the article...he was suicidal. helps to know what youre talking about ray.

LOL I know he was suicidal. It doesn't change what I said: "No one who WANTS to die stands there for an hour. He wanted to be rescued - to know that someone cared enough for him to make a move."

These "public servants" all stood around and watched a man die for an hour. Some service.

92 posted on 06/05/2011 9:51:12 AM PDT by raybbr (People who still support Obama are either a Marxist or a moron.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 90 | View Replies]

To: Gondring
You're not talking about protecting human life. You're talking about pointing the finger at others and demanding they do it.

Wrong.

We're talking about public safety employees, trained with taxpayers money to save people, watching someone die, without even attempting to save them, because of some government regulation.

We're talking about the moral imperative of people, especially men, to protect the weaker among us.

We're talking about a society where life is cheap, whether in the womb or just before death.

We're talking about a society that has been degraded by people willingly giving up their freedom and independence for government regulation and government dependence.

I hope the sight of that man dying haunts those that watched, without even trying to help, the rest of their lives.

93 posted on 06/05/2011 10:32:30 AM PDT by Prokopton
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 88 | View Replies]

To: cripplecreek

I’ve two kids; one a volunteer fireman working on his EMT, and the other a professional EMT. They’re my heroes.....

What they deal with on a regular basis would give most folks I know nightmares....>PS


94 posted on 06/05/2011 3:01:08 PM PDT by PiperShade
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 79 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-94 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson