Wilco Co. Sheriff's take on rescue efforts in Houston

When "Hurricane Harvey" hit parts of the Houston area with devastating floods several law enforcement teams from Central Texas rushed to help out.

This past Sunday the "Williamson County Sheriff's Office" sent out deputies and resources to Houston in an effort to save lives.
               
Williamson County Sargent Jereme Brinkmann was one of the deputies who traveled hours in unsafe conditions to help evacuees in Houston.

“When I saw the amount of water, people everywhere..people were worried about neighbors worried about loved ones," said Brinkmann.

Brinkmann said he didn't believe the devastation.

"I was expecting some streets to be flooded and some bayous to overflow," he said.

When Brinkmann arrived in Houston and experienced the flooding waters for himself he said he had a realization of just how bad things were. 

"When we got there and saw neighborhoods underwater and some with water over our heads some of them up to the roof tops it was pretty overwhelming," said Brinkmann.

While out there Brinkmann said his team of deputies rescued close to 100 people. He said one rescue in a flood of many stuck out to him.

"there was a 91-year-old man who we took out of an attic of a house he wasn't very mobile so he couldn't walk out the water was at the roof of the house."

Brinkmann also said natural disasters don't discriminate.

"All types of people, poor people, middle class people are affected everybody. It didn't matter your race education where you lived," he said.

Brinkmann said the type of strength and selflessness he witnessed out there between people kept him going.

"It sad to think that it takes a natural disaster to bring people together I wish people could be this kind to each other every day and it didn't have to be a flood or terrorist attack,” said Brinkmann.

He said the outpouring appreciation from evacuees made it worth it. 

“It fills your heart to be able to help people who really care and thank you. Everybody would hug us as soon as we got them to safety to dry land,” said Brinkmann.

Brinkmann said the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office has had an outpouring amount of support from the community.

“I’m going down with my wife Friday night and taking a bunch of donations down to Houston that people have dropped off at the sheriff’s office. We put some Facebook posts up asking for donations and some have come forward and given money, gift cards and toiletries. We are going to load up a truck and drive that stuff to Houston,” said Brinkmann.