Man Arrested After Saving Swimmer

UPDATED: July 8, 2005 — Charges dropped against man who saved swimmer.

Newman has said he wasn’t trying to be disrespectful and that he was just tired after the physically demanding rescue.

“However, Mr. Newman did perform a heroic act, and we believe the proper course of action is to drop the charges.” [said Texas State University president Denise Trauth and San Marcos Mayor Susan Narvaiz said in a joint statement]

In related news…the Texas State U Police have arrested a boy scout for mugging an eldery citizen. “But he was just helping me cross the intersection,” claimed Mrs. Elvira Mae Montgomery, 78, of Lockhart, TX. Mrs. Elvira was merely ticketed for obstructing a campus-cop’s investigation.

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(Originally posted on July 5th) — Dave Newman (48) of San Marcos, TX is a hero. And because of his heroics, he was arrested and thrown in jail over the weekend.

On Sunday afternoon, Newman saw Abed Duamni (35) of Houston get sucked under the turbulent waters of a waterfall near Joe’s Crab Shack in San Marcos. With the help of some other quick acting bystanders, Newman was able to secure a rope to himself and pull Duamni from beneath the water.

“I reached a point where I said, ‘I’m dead,’ ” Duamni, who was visiting San Marcos, said from his Houston home Monday night. “There’s was nothing I could do. I thought, ‘That’s it, I’m over, I’m gone.’

Police arrested Newman when he came back across the river for being uncooperative in “clearing the river.”

San Marcos resident Bob Ogletree, who had helped pass Newman the rope he used in the rescue, said:

“It all seems so curious,” Ogletree said. “Ultimately, I don’t know, but it does seem terribly unfortunate and somewhat in poor taste to have taken this guy to jail.”

Yes, Bob. It was in poor taste to have taken Newman to jail. I hope the city of San Marcos acts quickly to not only dismiss all charges against Newman, but also to commend him for his bravery and heroism.