OMG! Drunk driving suspect drowns because cops cant swim.

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - OMG! Drunk driving suspect drowns because cops cant swim. (Page 1 of 3)

Posted: 10/5/2005 1:52:29 PM EDT

Tennessee Motorist Drowns after Fleeing from Police
ASSOCIATED PRESS

HOLLOW ROCK, Tenn. (AP) -- A woman whose car ran into a pond while fleeing police slipped under the water and disappeared as officers who could not swim waited on shore for rescuers to arrive, Police Chief Danny Emerson said.

Emerson said Robin Dianne Lowe, 52, was pronounced dead after a rescue team arrived and pulled her from the pond. He said there was no assurance she could have been saved if the officers had gone in the water after her.

''To be able to swim and to be able to rescue someone from the water are two different things,'' said Emerson, whose department of a handful of officers patrols this West Tennessee town of about 1,000 residents. ''Because someone is a good swimmer doesn't mean he would be able to rescue someone.''

Lowe drove into the pond after her car struck the cruiser of an officer who was trying to stop her on suspicion of drunken driving, Emerson said.

Lowe got out of the car and stood on its roof briefly before disappearing under the water, Emerson said.

The incident happened Saturday, and Lowe was buried Monday.

Being able to swim ''would be a plus'' for police officers but is not a job requirement, Emerson said.

Um, chief...if you hired more former Marines instead of worrying about "diversity" you wouldnt have this problem.

Posted: 10/5/2005 1:54:23 PM EDT

[#1]

And whats wrong with this story. I see nothing wrong.

Posted: 10/5/2005 1:54:49 PM EDT

[#2]

Lowe got out of the car and stood on its roof briefly before disappearing under the water, Emerson said.

Whoa. There is more to this story than we are reading I think...

Posted: 10/5/2005 1:55:00 PM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
Tennessee Motorist Drowns after Fleeing from Police
ASSOCIATED PRESS

HOLLOW ROCK, Tenn. (AP) -- A woman whose car ran into a pond while fleeing police slipped under the water and disappeared as officers who could not swim waited on shore for rescuers to arrive, Police Chief Danny Emerson said.

Emerson said Robin Dianne Lowe, 52, was pronounced dead after a rescue team arrived and pulled her from the pond. He said there was no assurance she could have been saved if the officers had gone in the water after her.

''To be able to swim and to be able to rescue someone from the water are two different things,'' said Emerson, whose department of a handful of officers patrols this West Tennessee town of about 1,000 residents. ''Because someone is a good swimmer doesn't mean he would be able to rescue someone.''

Lowe drove into the pond after her car struck the cruiser of an officer who was trying to stop her on suspicion of drunken driving, Emerson said.

Lowe got out of the car and stood on its roof briefly before disappearing under the water, Emerson said.

The incident happened Saturday, and Lowe was buried Monday.

Being able to swim ''would be a plus'' for police officers but is not a job requirement, Emerson said.

Um, chief...if you hired more former Marines instead of worrying about "diversity" you wouldnt have this problem.

Agreed.

The only "swim" requirements I have ever heard of were in the mandatory affirmative.

Posted: 10/5/2005 1:55:07 PM EDT

[#4]

Well actually she drown because she was fleeing police…

Posted: 10/5/2005 1:55:34 PM EDT

[#5]

Hmmm. Drunk, stupid, and dead. Why am I not surprised? I don't see any particular reason for a cop to run the risk of getting his socks wet or soiling the soles of his shoes to rescue a suspect from a situation the suspect creates.

Posted: 10/5/2005 1:56:58 PM EDT

[#6]

Now if there would have been a road block to catch her this would not have happened. Therefore………..it is the fault of the state/feds and they will be sued…..

Posted: 10/5/2005 1:57:14 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
And whats wrong with this story. I see nothing wrong.

What I see "wrong" is these same officers may be dispatched to a drowing with a child on the bottum of a swimming pool next summer. It's a common call in LE work.

Posted: 10/5/2005 1:57:15 PM EDT

[#8]

Serves her right.

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:00:22 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
Serves her right.

Pretty harsh, what if it was your mom? Say she was in distress, perhaps somebody was following her, she may have been scared, drunk, having a medical emergency, or whatever. Regardless of the circumstances, she is dead.

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:01:17 PM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
Quoted:
And whats wrong with this story. I see nothing wrong.

What I see "wrong" is these same officers may be dispatched to a drowing with a child on the bottum of a swimming pool next summer. It's a common call in LE work.

What, no firemen in East Bumfuck?

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:01:18 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
Hmmm. Drunk, stupid, and dead. Why am I not surprised? I don't see any particular reason for a cop to run the risk of getting his socks wet or soiling the soles of his shoes to rescue a suspect from a situation the suspect creates.

+1

Darwin Rules.

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:01:30 PM EDT

[#12]

I'm a lifeguard (in training)

and its no easy job to save a passive drowning victim.

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:01:51 PM EDT

[#13]

Sorry to burst your "everything's going to be ok" bubble-but I have been to several of the "baby at the bottom of the pool" calls. They never have a happy ending, and the RA usually beats you there anyway.

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:01:57 PM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
Hmmm. Drunk, stupid, and dead. Why am I not surprised? I don't see any particular reason for a cop to run the risk of getting his socks wet or soiling the soles of his shoes to rescue a suspect from a situation the suspect creates.

Because it is part of the job. Swimming out into a pond to help a middle age woman in TN is not exactly like asking somebody to swim the Arkansas in the spring.

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:02:50 PM EDT

[#15]

Ha Ha!

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:03:35 PM EDT

[#16]

That's one way to get out of a DWI/DUI.

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:04:16 PM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:
Quoted:
And whats wrong with this story. I see nothing wrong.

What I see "wrong" is these same officers may be dispatched to a drowing with a child on the bottum of a swimming pool next summer. It's a common call in LE work.

There's a large difference between swimking well enough to get an 80 lb child out of a 8-10 ft pool, and well enough to rescue an adult suspect in flowing, unknown depth, waters, no to mention that suspect may not want to be rescued/apprehended......................

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:05:10 PM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
And whats wrong with this story. I see nothing wrong.

What I see "wrong" is these same officers may be dispatched to a drowing with a child on the bottum of a swimming pool next summer. It's a common call in LE work.

What, no firemen in East Bumfuck?

Cops, who are already in their patrol cars, generally beat the firefighter/paramedics to medical aid calls becuase the FF are not sitting suited up in their rigs. The firefighter have to wait for that slowest guy on the rig to get pause the movie, put down his popcorn, suit up....

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:05:26 PM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
And whats wrong with this story. I see nothing wrong.

What I see "wrong" is these same officers may be dispatched to a drowing with a child on the bottum of a swimming pool next summer. It's a common call in LE work.

There's a large difference between swimking well enough to get an 80 lb child out of a 8-10 ft pool, and well enough to rescue an adult suspect in flowing, unknown depth, waters, no to mention that suspect may not want to be rescued/apprehended......................

She was standing on the roof of her car. She was on the surface.

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:08:46 PM EDT

[#20]

Maybe I missed it, but I have never heard of an LEA that had a swimming requirement for hiring, swimming lessons at the academy, or swimming as part of the officers' job description. Can you imagine anybody screaming "I'm drowning! Call the police"?

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:10:08 PM EDT

[#21]

The moral of the story.....whgen you see flashing red and blue pull your sorry drunk ass over.

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:10:16 PM EDT

[#22]

So... what are the odds the officers were like
"I'm not going in after her, You do it".

"I'm not gonna do it, YOU do it".

"dude, I just washed this shirt, I'm not gonna get it wet".

"let just wait, she'll come up in a minute".

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:11:18 PM EDT

[#23]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
And whats wrong with this story. I see nothing wrong.

What I see "wrong" is these same officers may be dispatched to a drowing with a child on the bottum of a swimming pool next summer. It's a common call in LE work.

There's a large difference between swimking well enough to get an 80 lb child out of a 8-10 ft pool, and well enough to rescue an adult suspect in flowing, unknown depth, waters, no to mention that suspect may not want to be rescued/apprehended......................

She was standing on the roof of her car. She was on the surface.

if you drive a car into a 100 ft deep pond, it will take some times to sink. A person could stand on their sinking vehicle for seconds or minutes, it doesn't mean that since they were able to stand on the car for a short time that the car would stay on the surface.

Or alternately, If the car was in 5' of water, wheel on the bottom, roof above water level, WHY would she decide to leave the vehicle? It certainly isn't so she can continue to flee is it? If she is someplace that is safe to flee, what would she do if an officer swam up to her and attempted to rescue/apprehend her?

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:12:34 PM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:
Maybe I missed it, but I have never heard of an LEA that had a swimming requirement for hiring, swimming lessons at the academy, or swimming as part of the officers' job description. Can you imagine anybody screaming "I'm drowning! Call the police"?

I can hear someone saying "I'm drowning! Call 911!" Who is going to show up? Everybody, but the Police will likely show up first. I am not a Police officer, but it would be hard for me to watch somebody drown without trying to get to them to pull them out. And no, I am not a "uber-tactical lifeguard," but I just don't know how I could live with myself after that.

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:13:42 PM EDT

[#25]

Ahem!!! They "said" they couldn't swim. There's a few local repeater-waste of life retards in my AO that if they went into the drink, I might not be able to "swim" either.

Of course, on the otherside of the deal, I'm being sarcastic as hell and probably would end up goin for a swim.

but...., does make ya wonder.

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:14:03 PM EDT

[#26]

I dont see that anything was done wrong.

Darwin in action.

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:14:07 PM EDT

[#27]

''To be able to swim and to be able to rescue someone from the water are two different things,'' said Emerson

Oh yes, the Ted Kennedy defence

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:14:24 PM EDT

[#28]

Quoted:
So... what are the odds the officers were like
"I'm not going in after her, You do it".

"I'm not gonna do it, YOU do it".

"dude, I just washed this shirt, I'm not gonna get it wet".

"let just wait, she'll come up in a minute".

So, she decide to:

Drink
Drive
Attempts to elude the police.

In doing so she drives into a body of water.

And it's who's fault she drowns?

She made a series of poor, criminal, choices. There are consequences for poor choices.

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:14:25 PM EDT

[#29]

aftyer highschool i have a big 4x4, we used to drive down to vally view 10mi S of cleveland durring the spring floods, the 1 was 19ft OVER flood stage
we would have fun driveing threw the water.

me and a few buddys were parked on this bridge watching stupid people get stuck.

as we sat there, this crappy little car drives past us and right in the watter.
we are all like "WTF?"
some old lady driveing with her ugly doughter and a yappy poodle in the back window.

right into 4ft of fast moveing water.. as the front of the car sinks and the back starts to float away. the diver is yelling out the window for use to save them.. the doughter grabs the dog and is pounding in the back window screaming at us.. my buddy looks at her, smiles and waves... LOL

now she is crawling out on the roof with the dog, and then the parks rangers show up.. ropes off.. and swims out to them... as they walk past us, my buddy yells at the darive.. "WTF WERE U THINKING!"
the ranger was trying not to laugh

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:14:38 PM EDT

[#30]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
And whats wrong with this story. I see nothing wrong.

What I see "wrong" is these same officers may be dispatched to a drowing with a child on the bottum of a swimming pool next summer. It's a common call in LE work.

What, no firemen in East Bumfuck?

Cops, who are already in their patrol cars, generally beat the firefighter/paramedics to medical aid calls becuase the FF are not sitting suited up in their rigs. The firefighter have to wait for that slowest guy on the rig to get pause the movie, put down his popcorn, suit up....

oh shit, a cops vs. fireman war

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:15:53 PM EDT

[#31]

Sounds like she died because she was a stupid drunk driver that also could not swim seeing as though she managed to exit the vehicle and get on its roof. If she had just pulled over she wouldn't have ran off the road and into a pond. Reminds me of those two girls that stole an SUV earlier this year or last year and rolled the damn thing off the road after an attempted fishtail after being chased by the police for a very long time. The driver died.

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:16:28 PM EDT

[#32]

Quoted:
That's one way to get out of a DWI/DUI.

I puilled a dyslexic and thought you typed DUW, for driving under water.

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:18:04 PM EDT

[#33]

I know for a fact i cannot drag a 150 pound person much past 25 yards. By the neck in pool temp water. Let alone if that person is drunk and unwilling, in cold water.

Nothing wrong here. Atleast from what we know.

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:18:44 PM EDT

[#34]

Quoted:
aftyer highschool i have a big 4x4, we used to drive down to vally view 10mi S of cleveland durring the spring floods, the 1 was 19ft OVER flood stage
we would have fun driveing threw the water.

me and a few buddys were parked on this bridge watching stupid people get stuck.

as we sat there, this crappy little car drives past us and right in the watter.
we are all like "WTF?"
some old lady driveing with her ugly doughter and a yappy poodle in the back window.

right into 4ft of fast moveing water.. as the front of the car sinks and the back starts to float away. the diver is yelling out the window for use to save them.. the doughter grabs the dog and is pounding in the back window screaming at us.. my buddy looks at her, smiles and waves... LOL

now she is crawling out on the roof with the dog, and then the parks rangers show up.. ropes off.. and swims out to them... as they walk past us, my buddy yells at the darive.. "WTF WERE U THINKING!"
the ranger was trying not to laugh

ummmm, big difference between people just being stupid and a drunk running from cops.
You must feel proud being buddies with someone waving and laughing at somebody needing help.

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:19:00 PM EDT

[#35]

Quoted:
Maybe I missed it, but I have never heard of an LEA that had a swimming requirement for hiring, swimming lessons at the academy, or swimming as part of the officers' job description. Can you imagine anybody screaming "I'm drowning! Call the police"?

Drownings are a very common call in LE work. Were you aware in that there are Deputy sheriff/EMTs in some juristictions?

In Ingham county Michigan the EMT/paramedic that arrives to your medical aid call with not be a firefighter, he will be a Deputy Sheriff.

Then there are the specialty units like harbor Patrol, Dive team...

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:19:20 PM EDT

[#36]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:24:06 PM EDT

[#37]

A more accurate thread title would be:

"Stupid non-swimming drunk drowns while trying to avoid a DWI arrest."

BTW: We do have a swim test, but she's on her own. I've been to the funerals of two officers that drowned going after suspects that way.

Now, I HAVE gone after kids, and that darn near killed me. I can't imagine hauling out some drunk heifer, esp if she's going to fight me in the process.

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:24:45 PM EDT

[#38]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
And whats wrong with this story. I see nothing wrong.

What I see "wrong" is these same officers may be dispatched to a drowing with a child on the bottum of a swimming pool next summer. It's a common call in LE work.

What, no firemen in East Bumfuck?

Cops, who are already in their patrol cars, generally beat the firefighter/paramedics to medical aid calls becuase the FF are not sitting suited up in their rigs. The firefighter have to wait for that slowest guy on the rig to get pause the movie, put down his popcorn, suit up....

I watched "Paramedics" on Discovery once, and sometimes, in some agenices, the police are the first to respond before FD/EMS because the PD have to make sure the scene is clear before the FD/EMS can respond.

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:25:20 PM EDT

[#39]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Serves her right.

Pretty harsh, what if it was your mom? Say she was in distress, perhaps somebody was following her, she may have been scared, drunk, having a medical emergency, or whatever. Regardless of the circumstances, she is dead.

You've yet to give me a justification for running from the cops. She didn't kill anyone else for that I'm thankful. She's dead and it's her own fault not yours, not mine, she killed herself. If you had seen someone dead that was killed by someone running from the cops, you'd have my attitude also.

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:25:22 PM EDT

[#40]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Maybe I missed it, but I have never heard of an LEA that had a swimming requirement for hiring, swimming lessons at the academy, or swimming as part of the officers' job description. Can you imagine anybody screaming "I'm drowning! Call the police"?

I can hear someone saying "I'm drowning! Call 911!" Who is going to show up? Everybody, but the Police will likely show up first. I am not a Police officer, but it would be hard for me to watch somebody drown without trying to get to them to pull them out. And no, I am not a "uber-tactical lifeguard," but I just don't know how I could live with myself after that.

I could, because me jumping in (if the wet person was over about 60 lb) would just leave 2 bodies for the firmen to dredge up.

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:26:26 PM EDT

[#41]

Well you cant blame the LEOs for this one. Do they have to risk their lives to save a felon?

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:26:49 PM EDT

[#42]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Maybe I missed it, but I have never heard of an LEA that had a swimming requirement for hiring, swimming lessons at the academy, or swimming as part of the officers' job description. Can you imagine anybody screaming "I'm drowning! Call the police"?

Drownings are a very common call in LE work. Were you aware in that there are Deputy sheriff/EMTs in some juristictions?

In Ingham county Michigan the EMT/paramedic that arrives to your medical aid call with not be a firefighter, he will be a Deputy Sheriff.

Direct question, are you going into waters of unknow depth, possible posionous snakes, to get a person that is likely to be combative when you contact them?

What are you going to do with your gear, leather armor, guns, etc. when you are in the water?

Do you swim well enough to FIGHT a person while in water over your head?

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:27:08 PM EDT

[#43]

Swimming was not a reqiurement for our states Co. Sheriff dept's . Ect. for my job, watercraft enforcement. Wonder how many of our guys could swim. (besides our dive team)

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:27:45 PM EDT

[#44]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Hmmm. Drunk, stupid, and dead. Why am I not surprised? I don't see any particular reason for a cop to run the risk of getting his socks wet or soiling the soles of his shoes to rescue a suspect from a situation the suspect creates.

Because it is part of the job. Swimming out into a pond to help a middle age woman in TN is not exactly like asking somebody to swim the Arkansas in the spring.

I sure as hell wouldn't swim the Arkansas ANY time of year, I sure as hell wouldn't risk my ass to save the life of a woman that had ran from me putting scores of other lives in danger in the process.

ETA. Here it is simply. If you see blue lights behind you, you have but one choice to make. Step on the brake, and pull over, or floor it and run. As soon as you floor it and run, you become an oxygen thief and society is better off with you dead.

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:28:45 PM EDT

[#45]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Serves her right.

Pretty harsh, what if it was your mom? Say she was in distress, perhaps somebody was following her, she may have been scared, drunk, having a medical emergency, or whatever. Regardless of the circumstances, she is dead.
You've yet to give me a justification for running from the cops. She didn't kill anyone else for that I'm thankful. She's dead and it's her own fault not yours, not mine, she killed herself. If you had seen someone dead that was killed by someone running from the cops, you'd have my attitude also.

She is responsible for her actions. I am not contesting that, her blood is on her own head. I am not justifying running from the cops.

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:29:16 PM EDT

[#46]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Serves her right.

Pretty harsh, what if it was your mom? Say she was in distress, perhaps somebody was following her, she may have been scared, drunk, having a medical emergency, or whatever. Regardless of the circumstances, she is dead.
You've yet to give me a justification for running from the cops. She didn't kill anyone else for that I'm thankful. She's dead and it's her own fault not yours, not mine, she killed herself. If you had seen someone dead that was killed by someone running from the cops, you'd have my attitude also.

Ummm real simple

She's an adult. She mad a decision to try and evade an officer to avoid an arrest for a traffic crime.

She made her choice, she should have thought about the consequences of those choices.

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:29:35 PM EDT

[#47]

everyone is assuming she was drunk. What about the toxicoligy report? I am sure they will know alot more then. What if it turns out she wasnt drunk? What then?

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:31:44 PM EDT

[#48]

Quoted:
everyone is assuming she was drunk. What about the toxicoligy report? I am sure they will know alot more then. What if it turns out she wasnt drunk? What then?

Then she doesn't even have an explanation, much less an excuse, for running from (and into) the cops.

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:32:04 PM EDT

[#49]

oh yes just what my wife and kids want me to do. jump into the lake with shoes, balistic vest, hat, full bat belt, firearm, watch, clothes, possible contacts.

good riddents to her!

Posted: 10/5/2005 2:32:23 PM EDT

[#50]

Dave Atell joke.

“You know you are drunk when you get pulled over by the Coast Guard,” he said.
Turn off your windshield wipers. That’s not rain, sir. That’s the ocean.

"I'm the first person in the history of the USA to be pulled over by the Coast Guard for drunk driving.

[Coast Guard] "This is the US Coast Guard. Swim out of the Honda."
[Dave A.] (Rolls down window) Fuuuuuck You Sea Pig!"
(Water rushes in) "Ahhh! Save me!!!!"

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - OMG! Drunk driving suspect drowns because cops cant swim. (Page 1 of 3)

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