Chief Deputy Sheriff Lewis Wayne Wahl

Lewis Wayne Wahl

Chief Deputy Wayne Wahl drowned while attempting to rescue a man whose car had been washed into a creek on Highway 163 near Highway 137.

Tornadoes and a 24-hour storm hit northern Texas, causing flooding throughout the area. During the search and rescue mission, Chief Deputy Wahl tied a rope around his waist and attempted to reach a stranded vehicle but was sucked underwater into a 36-inch culvert. His body was found three miles north of Ozona.

Chief Deputy Wahl was a United States Army veteran of the Vietnam War and had been with the Crockett County Sheriff's Office for 8.5 years.