On Wednesday, March 16, 2005 at about 0915 hours, Officer Jackson Lone and his partner of the Seattle Police Department's Harbor Patrol Unit responded to the Lake Washington Ship Canal between Fremont and Ballard to the report of a drifting tugboat.  The tugboat had broken free from its mooring.

 

Upon locating the tug, Officer Lone went ashore near the 3600 block of 3rd Avenue NW on the north side of the ship canal.  He was using a rope as he stood atop a sea wall when he slipped and fell into the water.  His partner, who had been using a police boat to push the tug towards shore, jumped into the water and pulled Officer Lone out.  However, by the time his partner was able to reach him, Officer Lone was under about six feet of water for eight to ten minutes.

 

Officer Lone had removed his "float coat," a personal floatation device, while standing ashore as he worked to secure the old tug boat.

 

After being brought to shore, members of the SPD Harbor Patrol, North Precinct and the Seattle Fire Department performed CPR on Officer Lone before he was transported to Harborview Medical Center.  Doctors reported that Officer Lone had a very large bruise on his head, indicating that Officer Lone struck his head on rocks when he fell.