- 
      - ** Home
      - ** About Us
      - ** Archives
      - ** Events
      - ** Publications

### Contact Us

To provide feedback on the Community Policing Dispatch, e-mail the editorial board at CPDispatch@usdoj.gov.

To obtain details on COPS Office programs, publications, and resources, contact the COPS Office Response Center at 800-421-6770 or AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov

**U.S. Department of Justice**        Office of Community Oriented Policing Services            145 N Street, N.E.       Washington, DC 20530      www.cops.usdoj.gov×        Menu         - Home
- About Us
- Archives
- Events
- Publications
- Contact Us
**Officer Drowned:Water Safety Tips and Training for Law Enforcement**
June 2019 | Volume 12 | Issue 5

Though law enforcement officers are trained in almost every  aspect of their jobs, from report writing to pursuit driving, few are trained  in water safety. A number of departments have highly skilled marine units, but  not many train their patrol officers. Even so, it is not unusual for an officer  to rescue a person from the water, get caught in a swamped patrol car, or fall  when boarding or pulling something out of a boat. 

In the past five years, 15 officers have died from drowning.  And according to Glenn Wilson, lead water safety instructor at RAD Training, Inc. of Largo, Florida,  there may be uncounted others who have lost their lives due to secondary  drowning, a condition which occurs hours or even days after a near-drowning  experience, when small amounts of water in the lungs cause a fatal drop in  blood oxygen levels. Still others may have had heart attacks caused by the stress  of their experience.
It can happen anywhere
Major floods have swept over large areas of our country this  year, threatening the lives of entire communities. But  even small floods from heavy rains can take a life, as happened in Kentucky in  2018. An officer patrolling in his squad car saw water on the road but did  not realize how deep it was. Soon after he entered the water, the car sank. Though  he escaped and climbed onto the roof, he jumped into the water and drowned. A  similar incident happened in Houston in 2017.

          That same year, Ohio County (West Virginia) Corporal Richard  White III responded to a call for service regarding several people caught in  the swift and dangerous waters of Wheeling Creek. Entering the heavy current  repeatedly, he managed to save a 13-year-old girl and an adult woman caught in  the undertow. For his heroism, he won the Attorney  General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Policing. 

          Corporal White attributes his ability to carry out this  rescue to growing up as a swimmer and being comfortable in the water, as well  as his water-based training in the Army, which was standard for all recruits.  And today the Ohio County Sheriff’s Office requires all applicants to pass a water fitness exam requiring them to tread  water for two minutes and swim a lap in a local pool.  
A low-frequency but high-risk danger 
Says Gulf  Shores (Alabama) Police Chief Ed Delmore, “No matter where you are, there  is always the possibility of ending up in the water, especially with floods  happening around the country with some regularity. Though the danger may be low  frequency for some departments, it’s always a high-risk situation. Every  officer should be prepared.” 

          Dave Young, a water survival training expert and co-founder  of Vistelar, a law enforcement training  organization in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, points out that “if you’re 5’8”and you  fall into a 6’ deep pool, you’re in over your head. No matter where an officer  works, being familiar with the water and your own abilities are essential to  saving yourself as well as others.”
Iron ducks: Officers in waterlogged vests and utility belts
What’s more, many officers are not good swimmers. “We call  them *iron ducks*,” says Young. “Some can’t even float or tread water, which in  many circumstances is more important than swimming. And even the best of them can tire quickly when fully outfitted, which is fatal.”  

          Even if the officer is a good swimmer, struggling in  freezing water wearing a fully loaded duty belt, vest and boots, which can  weigh up to 30 pounds when water logged and also restrict movement, is a  completely different scenario from recreational swimming. “What’s more,” says  Young, “in a pool, you swim with your head in the water. In an open  environment, you have to keep your head above the water to be sure you’re going  in the right direction.

          To enhance the safety of their officers, not only to survive  an unexpected immersion but to fight an assailant in the water, some law  enforcement agencies have begun water safety training programs. Among them is  the Pennsylvania  State Police Water Survival Training. In addition to life saving methods,  the program teaches skills such as how to build stamina and maintain body heat  in cold water, as well how to deal with an assailant in or near the water.
Water safety training designed for law enforcement
Similar skills are taught by specialized organizations such  as Vistelar and RAD Training, Inc. which teach response, rescue and survival  tactics. Participants swim, tread water, and go through other drills wearing body  armor and a simulated duty belt. They also learn how to get their duty belts  off quickly, protect their gun inside their vests or use the vest as a flotation  device, and even how to remove their pants, fill them with air, tie the ends,  and use them for flotation. 

          Once officers enter the water, they have seconds to get  their duty belts off. “And if you’re pursuing a suspect, you have additional  problems” says Young. “You can’t see his hands and swimming with a firearm will  be very difficult.” Some programs teach officers how to deal with a struggle in  the water through defensive tactics, evasion drills, and practice in handgun  retention. But though they may also learn to shoot from or under the water,  officers must follow the same firearms safety principles they do on land. 
Facing an assailant in the water
“It’s also hard to know if the person is resisting arrest or  drowning, even if he’s thrashing around. Stay alert to a possible ambush. He  could be luring you in for an attack, hoping you’ll be at a disadvantage.” If  you do go in, Young recommends keeping your distance and swimming parallel to,  not behind, the individual. “Whether it’s an arrest or rescue operation, that  person can panic, grab onto your head, and push you down,” he says. 

          Says Glenn Wilson, “We teach swimming with a handgun drawn  and while scanning for threats. But the most important thing we teach is how to  self-rescue. If you can’t save yourself, you’re no good to anybody else. And if  you can’t tread water for long, you can’t combat an assailant, rescue anyone,  or be easily rescued yourself.”
Tips from the experts
Though professional training is highly recommended, Dave  Young and others say that officers can increase their water safety in several  ways. This starts with assessing your skills and limits and getting well  acquainted with the water in your area—its currents, temperature, depth, best  entry points, bridge and dock locations, etc. 

          However, all agree that the best course of action in a  rescue situation is to stay on land if possible, and find something you can extend  to an individual flailing in the water. A number of police departments,  including the Ohio County Sheriff’s Office where Corporal White works, equip  their squad cars with water rescue throw bags, which contain about 70 feet of  floatable, plastic rope attached to a bag that the person in danger can grab. But  in an emergency, a hose or even a tree branch will do. 
Rescuers can become victims
Moreover, it’s critical for officers to call in their exact  location on the water and the nearest entry point so backup can find them. Officers  are not always the best person for a water rescue; waiting for the arrival of a  specially trained and equipped rescue team could offer the best chance of survival  for all. 

          Says Young: “Many law enforcement drowning victims were  attempting a rescue. If you do go in, stay calm and tread water while getting  rid of your duty belt. Talk to the individual in distress to calm them too, but  avoid physical contact—a drowning victim will try to use you as flotation.  Instead, coax the individual to swim toward you as you back up in the water,  encouraging them to make it to safety.”  
Getting the training you need
Experts recommend that all patrol  officers who work in areas with lakes, rivers, an ocean, or even a lot of swimming  pools get water screening to test their limitations—and, if they need it, a  waterproofing course to learn critical water safety skills. Glenn Wilson suggests  that they assess themselves in local pools under supervision, find a swim  stroke they can do comfortably, check their ability to float and control their  breathing, and practice swimming under water. 

          Officers can take swimming  lessons through local organizations if they need them. The Red Cross also  offers swimming, water safety, and lifeguarding courses, which can enable  officers to become training resources within their own department. Departments  may also be eligible for training grants and, by training some of their  officers, develop their own water screening programs. 

          Faye Elkins          Senior Technical Writer
Sources for More Information
American Red CrossPennsylvania  State Police Water Survival Course

Tweet
**Subscribe to Email Updates**
To sign up for monthly updates or to access your subscriber preferences, please enter your email address in the Subscribe box.
Email
The Community Policing Dispatch is the e-newsletter of the COPS Office. 

The Community Policing Dispatch is the e-newsletter of the COPS Office. 

**Explore**
- Home
- About Us
- Archives
- Events
- Publications
- Contact Us
**Connect With Us**
Want to stay connected with the COPS office?             Follow us on social media!
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
-  FOIA 
-  No FEAR Act 
-  Open Government 
-  Plain Writing 
-  USA.gov 
-  Legal Policies and Disclaimers 
-  Language Access Plan 
-  DOJ Privacy Policy