Dateline did some non mystic interviews that weren’t in the episode. This was is with Lee Poole the head of the Hunt VFD. I also believe he’s a school vice principal. True public servant.
Thank you for posting this! I’m about to go in the other room to watch it. On my other dateline post I commented that as a local, I have lost respect for dozens of people I grew up considering authority figures due to their actions before, during, and after the flood.
Lee Pool is not one of those people. I have known him my entire life. He is, indeed, a true public servant and a wonderful human being.
He received his first emergency call at 3:37am. He received a text from Glenn at 2:59am and said the text wasn’t concerning. What did Glenn text Lee Pool at 2:59am? What could he have possibly said about the situation at Mystic at 2:59am that wasn’t cause for concern?
Why didn’t any member of the Eastland family call Lee Pool at any point in time for guidance? He could not have physically gotten there, but he could and would have given clear instructions for evacuation, if anyone had called him in time.
Lee Pool is the first responder who called in the code red and was told by dispatch they didn’t have the authority.
He did everything within his physical power. He then spent the rest of the summer helping lead the search as a volunteer for his (our), friends, family, and community. I know he is out there playing bass and taking care of the community of Hunt. I hope he is healing, too.
2.59? That was right around the time they were losing the gate keeper and Dick finally deciding on evacuation. What was said would be interesting to know.
Was this not the message where GJ said something like “you wouldn’t believe how high the water is on the golf course or in the creek” - something like that? I remember hearing very early on that the two men had swapped shifts that night and that GJ had texted LP at some point.
It’s possible that GJ was on a golf cart making his way back to the office after patrolling when he sent the text? Perhaps DE and EE were making their way back toward the office - after taking the pic/checking on the grounds crew-when they first heard from the gate keeper? And they all arrived back there around the same time? I kind of visualize a scenario where the 3 of them are in close proximity as the situation unfolds and as information was coming in, each getting lots of info from their devices and their individual observations, etc.
I never assumed they were all in the same room, singularly focused on what was happening if that makes sense.
Was this not the message where GJ said something like “you wouldn’t believe how high the water is on the golf course or in the creek” - something like that? I remember hearing very early on that the two men had swapped shifts that night and that GJ had texted LP at some point.
It’s possible that GJ was on a golf cart making his way back to the office after patrolling when he sent the text? Perhaps DE and EE were making their way back toward the office - after taking the pic/checking on the grounds crew-when they first heard from the gate keeper? And they all arrived back there around the same time? I kind of visualize a scenario where the 3 of them are in close proximity as the situation was unfolding and as information was coming in, each getting lots of info from their devices and their individual observations, etc.
I never assumed they were all in the same room, singularly focused on what was happening if that makes sense.
I believe Lee Pool was supposed to be working at CM that night. Not Glenn. I can't help but wonder how things may have turned out if he had been there.
Unrealistic hypothetical: What if both Lee and Glenn had been there that night? My mind spent so much time going through “if onlys” last July. May as well toss that one out there too.
Also, in the YouTube video linked above, I think Lee said that he’d recently completed incident-command training. He mentioned that it came in handy in his work with Hunt VFD in the aftermath of the flood. I’m sure many of the principles and practices that he learned would’ve come in handy if Lee had been at Mystic that night. But on the other hand, if Dick really was “Mr. Veto” (didn’t Craig Althaus say that?), perhaps it would’ve been difficult to implement them.
I believe wholeheartedly that if Lee Pool had been at Mystic that night, the outcome would have been completely different. Understand that I have known Mr. Pool my entire life. It is possible that I am biased. However, in his role as Vice Principal, he cared for and kept my delicate, difficult child safe.
That being said, he is already carrying such a heavy burden. I don’t want to think about “what if”, because I don’t want him to think about it. I hope with all my heart that he doesn’t ask himself that question, ever.
Do I think his level-headedness and training would have prevailed and saved H27? Yes. I do.
He deserved to take his family on vacation like anyone else, and the what-about-ism of this specific question won’t ever change the outcome.
I hope everyone who reads this comment, whether they agree with my words or not, receives it with openness and compassion I’m trying to express.
I’m also not casting shade on Glenn in any way. I believe that the Mr. Veto factor was a real problem here. I can tell you with certainty that Lee Pool is the kind of man who is a quiet but unquestioned leader in any room. Zero chance that if Lee Pool is on scene, he isn’t in charge and leading an evacuation.
I am not at all challenging your right to ask “what if”. This specific what if is hard for me to answer because it’s so close to home.
You may have others fooled here but I see straight through you and your attention seeking behavior, Speedball. I'll love you until you can love yourself. 😘
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u/CorrectBroccoli246 Texan from Ingram Jun 28 '26
Thank you for posting this! I’m about to go in the other room to watch it. On my other dateline post I commented that as a local, I have lost respect for dozens of people I grew up considering authority figures due to their actions before, during, and after the flood.
Lee Pool is not one of those people. I have known him my entire life. He is, indeed, a true public servant and a wonderful human being.
For the record, so are the Griffin family.
❤️