AUSTIN (KXAN) – Two Austin police officers are being praised as heroes for pulling two women from a sinking car in Lady Bird Lake.

Austin police chief Art Acevedo awarded Officers Matt Judd and Ashley Edwards meritorious service awards for valor this week.

“I can easily say and trust that everybody that I know would have done the same thing,” said Edwards.

She and Judd were finishing reports in their vehicles under the I 35 bridge early in the morning on Sunday, July 1 when they saw a car drive in to Lady Bird Lake.

“Once the vehicle began moving, because it happened so suddenly, we both entered the water and began to swim out to it,” said Edwards.

Because it was raining, and the current was moving very quickly, the car quickly drifted 30 yards from shore.

“As we swam out, we could hear a female voice coming from inside the vehicle and trying to exit the drivers side window. So at that point we just continued to swim out the vehicle until we could reach it and assist the driver,” said Edwards.

Edwards said both officers were surprised when another woman started to climb out the same window. And then the car went under.

“It took us a while to get everyone back up to the shore,” said Edwards. “And once they were on the shore I began asking medical questions to see if they were injured and what was going on and at that point one of them had mentioned a male’s name and I began asking where the male was and they stated that he had been in the back seat. It was surprising- considering the amount of time that had passed from being out by the vehicle to coming in to shore and just then realizing that their friend wasn’t with them.”

Divers later discovered the body of Ryan Whittington, 25, in the back seat.

“We did the best we could and if I could go back and change it and have a few more minutes to get inside the vehicle and realize that someone was back there then we would have done all we could and hopefully have brought him home as well,” said Edwards.

The driver, Madeline Rackley is now charged with intoxication manslaughter.

“They were definitely heroic in their actions- putting their life on the line to go out to save somebody else,” said APD Lt. Patrick Connor.

But Edwards said she would gladly give back the award given to her by the department, in order to have been able to save Whittington’s life.

“I wish that decisions and circumstances had been different to where it wouldn’t have even been a factor or needed but hopefully everyone can learn from this and I wish the best for Ryan’s family,” she said.

This case still has to go before a Travis County grand jury. Rackley has a previous arrest for DWI in 2009.
She pleaded no contest to that charge.