Man Falls From Texas Pier

Station Port Aransas

Coast Guard, fire fighter and good Samaritan save intoxicated man’s life near Port Aransas

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Coast Guard members, a fire fighter and a good Samaritan worked together to save a man's life after he fell from a pier near Port Aransas, Saturday.

John Shrier, a fire fighter for Port Aransas, jumped into the water to help the man and a good Samaritan threw a floatation device to them. Shrier wasn't able to lift the man out of the water due to strong currents, so he clung to a pilling and waited for Coast Guard assistance.

Port Aransas emergency medical services personnel contacted Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi watchstanders after they witnessed the intoxicated man fall off the Station Street Pier at 11:02 p.m.

Watchstanders launched a Station Port Aransas 25-foot Response Boat — Small and rescue crew to assist.

The small boat rescue crew located Shrier and the man at 11:09 p.m., and pulled them out of the water.

“It’s just part of my job”, said Shrier. “He started to take in water, and I went in to make sure he stayed afloat. The water was pretty cold and it was dark last night, but in a situation like that, it wasn’t something you think about. The currents around the pier were actually pretty strong and more severe than I had even anticipated. People definitely need to be careful near the waterfronts around here and especially around the jetties.”

After the man was dropped back off at the pier he was arrested by the Port Aransas Police Department for public intoxication.

“We often say that drinking and boating do not mix, but the same is true in any situation around the water, ” said Senior Chief Petty Officer Matthew Vaughn, the officer in charge of Station Port Aransas. “While Spring Break can be a fun time, please remember to treat the water with respect. The intoxicated man put a rescuer’s life at risk by having to enter the water at night, and had someone not seen him fall in, he most likely would have drowned.”