HOUSTON — It has been nearly one year since Kemah Police Department Chief Chris Reed drowned after being thrown from a fishing boat near the Texas City Dike. Reed’s body was found two days after the incident by the United States Coast Guard.
The only other person who was on the boat with him when he went overboard was his wife, Jana Reed. She recently reflected on what the past year has been like for her family and how her husband's legacy lives on.
“Everyone needs to live today like there might not be a tomorrow,” Jana Reed said. “Because you never know when the last time you see someone is.”
June 7, 2019, was the last time Jana Reed saw her husband.
“We were just having a day out on the boat to fish,” she said. “And we came across the large wake.”
Reed was swept overboard. Then he was gone.
“It never really gets easier,” Reed said. “It’s always there. It’s always in the back of your mind, and you never stop thinking about it.”
After he was thrown from the boat, a massive search for the missing police chief ensued.
“A lot of it is a blur to me,” Reed said. “I was definitely in a fog. But the overwhelming response of first responders and just everyday people that came out to assist in the search was unreal. To this day I’m still amazed by it.”
Reed’s body was recovered two days later. Jana Reed is not comfortable discussing the details of what exactly happened on the water that day.
Reed’s family has accused a cargo ship of sailing too close to the boat, creating a wave that knocked the chief overboard, according to a lawsuit.
Court documents claim Jana Reed threw her husband a line, but he could not reach it when a second wave from the same ship drove it away.
Jana Reed says the past year has been tough and that her family has dealt with its loss one day at a time. But life continues.
The Reed family’s oldest daughter will soon have a baby, the son joined the U.S. Navy and its youngest just graduated high school.
“It’s hard to believe it’s been a year,” Jana Reed said. “There are days when it still doesn’t seem real.”
The memory of Chief Chris Reed, who was also a Clear Creek Independent School District trustee, survives through a memorial foundation in his name.
More than a dozen local high school students received a total of approximately $30,0000 in scholarships from the non-profit Chris Reed Foundation this year.
Graduating high school seniors who couldn’t afford to buy their caps and gowns learned they were paid for by the foundation.
A lot has happened in a year. All of it, Jana Reed says, would make her husband very proud.
Great news if you watch TV with an antenna
KHOU has just upgraded its technology. If you were unable to receive KHOU with your antenna in the past, try again on channel 11.11. You may have to rescan your channels for it to work – if that’s the case, we’ve got some instructions at KHOU.com/antenna. If you already see KHOU on 11.1, you may now ALSO see it on 11.11 – it’s the exact same programming. We’re really excited to be able to bring our KHOU 11 News, CBS shows and sports, Wheel of Fortune, Ellen and Great Day Houston to more homes around the area. If you’re still having trouble, please contact us here and we’ll try to get you set up.