Police Officer Lets Kids Broadcast Goodbyes to Navy Dad Over Patrol Car PA System
— -- Two children were able to give their Navy father a proper goodbye thanks to a California police officer's kindhearted act.
Officer James Weaver of the San Diego Police Department allowed Rileigh, 4, and Austin Buetow, 2, to say goodbye to their dad over his patrol car public-address system as he was leaving on a ship for deployment.
"[I] noticed the two little kids yelling goodbye to their dad," Weaver told ABC News. "I knew he wouldn't be able to hear them, so I pulled next to them and asked if they would like to use the PA in the patrol car. I figured it would be a little louder and a better chance for their dad to hear their little voices."
The children's father, Joshua Buetow, 28, left from Shelter Island Jan. 5 on the USS Carl Vinson. He will not return to his San Diego home until summertime, his wife Brettany Buetow, also 28, said.
That day Buetow, a mom of three, brought the kids to the harbor so they could see their dad off.
"The ship had started to come by and they were waving ... he [Weaver] saw the kids jumping up and down," Buetow told ABC News.
Officer Weaver, who was patrolling the parking lot that morning, drove by and asked Rileigh and Austin if they'd like to give a message to their dad using his microphone.
"Austin was getting kind of scared because of how loud it was, but Rileigh was yelling, 'Bye Daddy! We love you, Daddy!'" Buetow recalled. "It got really emotional. I was holding it together, doing pretty well and once all that started happening, I just started crying."
Buetow said her husband works in a lower deck of the ship. Although she'd be surprised if he heard the little ones, she's happy they got to say another goodbye, she said.
