This doesn't actually say she cared about him but.... Idk... Maybe nobody gave a **** about the guy. Oh, well.
Now there's a certain etiquette you must follow when you want to kill yourself? Lol, I'm just saying if I were going to do it I would want to give one last show. Who cares what people think on a planet you cease to exist in.
The city has liability problems. Think about why that is. I don't fault the first responders because if one of them was injured or died, lawyers and sue-happy America would be down their throats for a long time. They don't have the safety equipment to perform a safe rescue. The suicidal guy was a danger to himself and possibly to his rescuer. The outrage at the first responders is misplaced.
If I knew he could not swim, I would have swam out there and asked him if he wanted to be rescued. All you need to do is toss him a floaty. It's his choice if he wants to hold on to it or not.
I don't know about outrage or hate, maybe surprise... and I guess my seinfeldian "duty to rescue" went undetected, but ... while I agree with what you're saying on paper up there, it's hard to imagine them sitting idly by asking why the spectators aren't doing something talking about budgets, gear and lawyers.
1. The guy picked a bad way to go, I would imagine something quicker and painless. Maybe he wanted attention? 2. Couldn't the firefighters say "I'm going on my lunch break right now" and jump in? Maybe they're still considered on duty, IDK. 3. When random rescuers say, "I did what anyone else would have done," I think to myself he/she is being modest, but in most cases it's probably the truth. I'll have to reconsider that thought. Especially after seeing people getting beaten in fastfood places and buses and people just watching.
This. This is the culture/society that we've created - for better or worse. I'm in no place to make a value judgment on anyone involved.
Police and firemen are not superheroes. Some delusional people think they are capable of incredible feats. 150 yards is no joke. That's about three Olympic pool lengths... in the ocean. Most good swimmers would struggle to get out there and back, much less try to rescue someone who wanted to die.
Are you kidding me? These guys get paid 50k to put their lives on the line every day. I'd imagine the majority of you would choose a different profession. If they choose to go outside the guidelines they are given, they are adding risk to a profession that is inherently life-threatening. Maybe this one warranted it. But the moment you start doing whatever you want, whenever you want and ignoring policies, you're opening yourself up to a lot more risk. You can say "they choose this career" and say they need to do anything we want them to. I say "they choose this career, and I commend them for it". (Speaking specifically about first-responders in that role--not necessarily the other roles of cops or whatever since that's not pertinent here)
What exactly is the Police/ Firefighter's job description again? Rocket River . . .something about saving people.
Well, that's you, Qball. But it ain't freaking me. If you're comfortable watching somebody die, fine. If you're comfortable saying, "It ain't my job", fine. If you're comfortable saying, "if they're not doing anything, I'm not", fine. But don't expect help when you're lying in the middle of the road dying and people just walk around you. Because that is exactly what will happen with your attitude. Now get the hell out of my foxhole because there is nothing about you that I would trust. ---- And a simple pointer on saving someone's life in water: approach from behind, swing you arm over his/her right shoulder and across the chest, and start side stroking to shore. Simple!!!! No damn reason to let anybody drown. And yes, I have pulled quite a few people out of the water.
Rescue swimming isn't easy even if the person wants to live. A drowning person will likely thrash around violently. Now think about a suicidal person who most likely is going to fight you, possibly drowning you in the process. Also, note that it wasn't the depth of the water that killed him. He succumbed to hypothermia from being in 60 degree water for over an hour, then ended up drowning. He was standing neck-high. The firefighter's and police's difficulty in rescuing this man was the gear and training. They don't have wetsuits, floatation devices, or watercraft. It was the Coast Guard's territory, and unfortunately, they couldn't get to this man in time because they were busy rescuing someone who wanted to live.
You're right...and the number one thing that we are taught is safety for number 1 first, that being yourself. I'm not trying to defend the guys, but I know every person I work with will do whatever they can to help someone if we can. Not every situation is the same. It's easy to arm chair quarterback something when you aren't there. 60* water and an ocean is a lot different then playing around in a swimming pool. People drown trying to save others because of the person waving their arms and pushing and pulling in panic...and those are people that want to be saved. I know I wouldn't want to turn myself into a victim trying to wrestle with a guy in the ocean that didn't want me there in the first place. If this was in Houston, it wouldn't be a problem, we have rescue boats and people trained for this situation. And you people saying you would go against protocol, let me also add this. We have to wear certain gear and do certain things during our duties. If I decide I want to go out of the norm and do my own thing and something happens to me, that could eliminate the city from covering my damages or death and leaving my family with nothing because I decided to act on my own. The number one thing is getting home to your families in the morning, not adding victims.
With today's ambulance chasers....screw those lawyers. It's understandable why the firefighters felt like they couldn't do anything.
