HPD officer braves flooding bayou waters to save a homeless man.
HPD officer braves the bayou waters to save a homeless man
Sheldon Theragood did not have much time to think, to assess the dangers of the rising waters of Buffalo Bayou as the rains from Hurricane Harvey made the waterway swell in its banks.
He and fellow Houston Police Department officers made several attempts to rescue a trapped homeless man. They brought ropes, tubes and a four-wheeler to U.S. 59, where the man was stuck under a bridge, but the current was too swift to navigate.
water was up to my chest,” Theragood said. “We tried everything, and nothing worked.”
The officers, however, refused to give up. They were the only hope for the man who had fallen asleep under U.S. 59 at Runnels, not knowing that Harvey would turn his safe haven into a trap.
Theragood asked one of the officers to hold onto him with a rope, and he started walking into the water with officer David Rose. Together, they got a rope to the man, and Theragood was able to pull him to shore.
It was one of the scariest moments in Theragood’s career, he said. And a wave of relief rushed over him when he brought the man to safety.
In February, Theragood and Rose were honored with a Life Saving Award from HPD for their efforts. But being a hero is an everyday role for Theragood. The 35-year-old member of HPD’S mental health division serves on the homeless outreach team.
Capt. Bill Staney, commander of the mental health division, said Theragood is an integral part of the group.
“He’s always willing to work whatever hours are necessary,” Staney said. “He’s very re“The sourceful, and he’s very warm. His caring is apparent.”
Born and raised in Houston, Theragood received a bachelor’s in communications from Texas Southern University and a master’s in counseling from Prairie View A&M University. When not at work, he’s busy running the nonprofit he created, TheraGood Deeds.
The organization, founded in 2010, provides mentoring to area youth. Theragood leads children in doing good deeds around the city, like feeding the homeless and visiting nursing homes.