Matagorda County Sheriff’s deputies pulled a man struggling in the surf to safety at Matagorda Beach with the help of people who were nearby May 25, the sheriff’s department reported.
Deputy Lt. James Orr that as he and Deputy Jimmy Hausler were on Matagorda Beach patrol - about ½ mile west of the beach entrance - a female ran up to them and said a man was out in the water possibly drowning.
“At which time I went to the shore break with my binoculars and began scanning the area, I observed a white male who was approximately 75-100 yards out in the surf,” Orr said.
“I advised dispatch from my patrol vehicle radio that there was a male in the water,” Orr said.
The male was upright and alert but was not swimming or attempting to swim at this point, Orr said.
Orr said Hausler stripped down to his swimming short and with his department-issued buoy entered the water to get to the man.
Orr said he grabbed a safety buoy inand ran to the beach shore break and saw Hausler about 50-75 yards out in the water trying to swim back to the shore with the malen.
Orr said that Hausler appeared to be severely exhausted from his rescue attempt.
Orr then began swimming towards Hausler and the man and when Orr got within throwing distance of the buoy he threw it to Hausler and began swimming back towards the shore.
At this time, Orr said a man “was swimming out towards us to assist in the rescue of the male.
“I grabbed his hand and we began swimming back to the shore.
Orr said there were several men and women “on the shore that had linked up in a human chain to assist in the rescue.
“They threw a rope out to us, and the male that swam out to assist had grabbed the rope and they began to pull all of us in towards the shore,” Orr said.
Orr said he ran to his patrol vehicle and told dispatch about the incident and asked for EMS.
The man who was struggling was out of the water at this point.
Hausler also was out of the water and laying on the ground, “but was speaking to me and advised he was OK, but was very tired from the swim,” Orr said.
He added that he told dispatch that “everyone was out of the water.”
EMS arrived and deemed the man who was in the surf – later described as ‘Connor’ in the reports - to be taken by life flight to Herman Memorial Hospital for further assessment and treatment.
Hausler refused transport to the hospital, report show.
