Memorial
Day weekend two Douglas County Deputies rescued a mother, father and their
young son from the frigid waters of the Columbia River. The trio had been thrown from their rented
jet ski. The mother had somehow lost her
life jacket during the accident and without it was in danger of drowning. The three huddled together in the water but
together they were too much for the two remaining life preservers to support
and were pulled under several times. They had no strength left to swim. No strength
to save themselves. When they were
rescued all three were suffering from hypothermia and water ingestion. All three were very, very close to death.
On Friday we honored the Deputies with the
Sheriff’s Office Life Saving Award, the first time this award has ever
been given. It was my honor to nominate them
for the award and what follows is an excerpt from my nomination.
I do not want
to dwell on the facts of this incident; obviously had it not been for the swift
and heroic actions of Deputy Poppie and Deputy Schlaman three people would have
lost their lives. I would instead like to speak to a comment that Deputy Poppie
made, “We were just in the right place at the right time.” Indeed they
were.
Many years ago these two men chose a career as
law enforcement officers. They are both quite intelligent and capable men
who could have found success in any given field. They chose to become
Deputy Sheriffs. They were aware when they made that decision that they
would never be rich, they would work rotating shifts, they would work on most
holidays, they would be looked on with scorn by many, they would encounter
danger, injury and possibly death. In the face of all of this they chose a
career of service.
In the course of their careers they volunteered
to become Marine Deputies. Marine Patrol is not a requirement of their
job; it is an additional duty that requires intensive training and an ongoing
commitment to stay proficient. Many would believe that Marine Patrol
would be a cushy assignment, but we know it is far from it. There is a
big difference between a day of play on the water and a day of work on the
water. There were many people at play on the water that day; only these
Deputies had the vigilance to notice this situation and the knowledge to make
an effective rescue.
Both of these Deputies volunteered to take a
shift working Marine Patrol on the holiday weekend. They could have
stayed at home and spent time with family and friends like most of us did,
instead they chose to serve.
Yes Deputy Schlaman and Deputy Poppie were in the
right place at the right time, but this rescue was not a product of
happenstance, it was a product of Dedication, Commitment and Service. It
was nothing less than heroic.
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