Hurricane Harvey: Houston police officer ‘passes out from exhaustion’ after working non-stop to help victims

‘Being reminded that there are still heroes out there brings a genuine smile to my face,’ a Reddit user said

Social media users have identified the officer as Deputy Sheriff Bob Goerlitz, who has been on the force since June 1990 (Reddit/ colby979)

A picture showing a Houston police office passed out from exhaustion after working around the clock to help victims of Hurricane Harvey has emerged as devastating floods swamped the city.

The image, which was initially shared on Reddit, shows an officer lying against a cabinet, with his head down.

“This policeman worked countless hours helping victims of Hurricane Harvey until he passed out from exhaustion,” the poster wrote.

Social media users have identified the officer as Deputy Sheriff Bob Goerlitz, who has been on the force since June 1990, according to his LinkedIn profile.

The Harris County Sheriff’s Office has not yet responded to a request for comment.

People are rescued by airboat as they evacuate from flood waters from Hurricane Harvey in Dickinson, Texas (Reuters)

Many have shared and commented on the image, offering words of support for the Deputy Sheriff and fellow first responders who have worked tirelessly to bring thousands of victims affected by the disaster in the Texan city to safety.

“In a time where cops are despised, treated like sh*t, accused of being bad apples grown from a rotten tree, being reminded that there are still heroes out there brings a genuine smile to my face,” one user wrote. “I hope he and all officers involved receive the recognition they deserve.”

Another, identifying themselves as a Houston resident, wrote: “Please know that everyone knows how hard you guys are working to mitigate this mess, and we’re extremely thankful for it.”

At least five people have died in the disaster and thousands of residents have been forced to climb onto their rooftops, waiting to be rescued.

Emergency services have been inundated with calls since Hurricane Harvey, which has since been downgraded to a tropical storm, left swathes of America’s fourth largest city under several metres of water.

While the storm has died down since making landfall on the south-east coast of Texas, officials say the danger Houston residents now face is from the rising water levels, with most of the city’s drains and bayous already at record levels.

Officials have started releasing water from reservoirs overwhelmed by Harvey, even though the move aimed at protecting downtown Houston could make flooding worse around thousands of already-damaged homes.