GALVESTON, Texas – Days after two members of the Galveston Municipal Police Association nearly drowned during a training exercise on Wednesday, we are learning more about the incident.
On Wednesday, Sept. 3, the two members were hospitalized after being injured at Schlitterbahn Waterpark.
The officers include Lieutenant Larry Chambers and Officer Justin Owens.
The Galveston Police Department said the two members lost their footing and went underwater.
“One of our officer was under the water for approximately 45 seconds,” said Anthony Rogers, the president of the Galveston Municipal Police Association.
That was Officer Owens.
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Lt. Chambers was underwater for roughly 90 seconds, according to a letter penned by Rogers.
“He was lifeless. He didn’t have a pulse. He wasn’t breathing. He wasn’t conscious. And that’s the reports that we were getting and we were honestly terrified,” Rogers told KPRC 2’s Gage Goulding.
On Thursday, the Galveston Municipal Police Association released a letter, requesting immediate action from the Galveston EMS Supervision after it was reported that Galveston EMS took more than 20 minutes to leave the scene.
GMPA stated that the Galveston EMS didn’t immediately leave the scene after arriving, as an EMT needed to train another EMT on how to enter information into the computer system.
“There was over a 20-minute lapse between when Ems dispatched that they arrived here at Schlitterbahn and when they took off to go to the hospital,” Rogers said. “One of our sergeants opened the door and said, ‘Hey, what are we doing?’ One of the EMTs said they were training the other one, working on some training stuff.”
The officers on scene offered to drive the ambulance in order to get Lt. Chambers to the hospital, but that offer was declined.
“What I can tell you, and this is from my experience here with the PD, is there are very many times and it’s documented in instance in significant event reports, as well as other things, where a firefighter will drive the ambulance so that both EMTs that are on the box can care for the patient, or one can care the patient and one can do the paperwork. ‘Hey, let’s start the trip. Let’s get on the road and we’ll drive it,’” Rogers said. “I can’t speak for as to why that was not taken. But we’re extremely disappointed it was not.”
After undergoing lifesaving medical care at the scene, the GMPA said both members were treated at UTMB Health.
Ofc. Owens was released from the hospital the same day, while Lt. Chambers remained hospitalized as of Friday as he makes progress towards recovery.
KPRC 2 requested a copy of the 911 call log from the Galveston Police Department to verify the claims and also sought comment from Galveston EMS. As of this writing, neither request has been answered.