Rookie Officers Save Drowning Woman

Three rookie Fort Worth police officers who graduated from the police academy together have also saved a life together.

According to witnesses, a woman dove into a Fort Worth pond Saturday night after screaming that she had been raped. One officer dove the water to help save the drowning woman and then ran into trouble himself.

"I didn't hesitate. None of us hesitated -- it's a human life out there," Officer Shane Farmer said. "I don't think any of us could have lived with ourselves for not trying."

With his heavy body armor and boots on, Farmer dove in and swam toward her.

"When I saw her, her hands were flaring up in the air," he said. "You could tell she was struggling."

Farmer said the woman was panicking and pulled him under a couple of times. Eventually, exhaustion set in and he started to drown, Farmer said.

"All you could see was his head bobbing above water," Officer Danny Beaird said.

He dove in to help his struggling partner.

"When I saw Officer Beaird, when I saw him coming in the water, I knew I was good," Farmer said. "There's a buddy, a family member -- he's not going to let you down."

Officer Kent Bickley also got into the pond, eventually pulling all three to safety. He also performed CPR on the woman.

"It's one of those situations where you don't hesitate," he said. "Regardless of who it is, you are gonna help them out."

The three officers, who spent eight months in the academy together, will spend the rest of their lives indebted to one another.

"If I passed, I would have died with pride," Farmer said. "I think I would have made my family proud, but thankfully, I've got some good brothers."

The woman was transported to John Peter Smith Hospital in stable condition. The sexual assault is under investigation.

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