David Persse Houston Texas Obituary-Death: Retired HFD EMS Physician Director Dies After Swimming Accident

Persse passed away Monday, September 28, 2026, surrounded by his family. He had suffered a serious spinal injury while swimming off Hermosa Beach, California, on Saturday. According to the available account, he was pulled from the water in cardiac arrest and resuscitated by bystanders and Los Angeles County first responders before being taken to a hospital.

Despite the emergency response and medical treatment he received, the severity of his injuries ultimately proved too great, and he died several days after the accident.

His death marks the loss of a physician whose career was closely connected with emergency medical services, public health and the City of Houston. For nearly three decades, Persse served Houston in a leadership role that helped shape the city’s EMS system and influence the training of generations of emergency responders.

Persse became Houston’s Director of Emergency Medical Services in 1996 after developing a career that included work as a field paramedic, paramedic instructor and emergency physician. He later served as the city’s Public Health Authority, taking on responsibilities involving disease control, clinical care quality and public-health preparedness.

His professional journey began before he became a physician. Persse spent approximately a decade working as a field paramedic and instructor in upstate New York and New Jersey. He later completed his medical education at Georgetown University School of Medicine, followed by residency training in emergency medicine at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center.

He subsequently pursued additional training in resuscitation and emergency medical services, including fellowship work through the Ohio State University, Baylor College of Medicine and the Houston EMS program.

When Persse returned to Houston in 1996, he took on the leadership of the city’s emergency medical services. Over the years that followed, his responsibilities expanded, and he became a prominent figure in Houston’s medical and emergency-response community.

His work also extended into academia and professional education. Persse served as a professor and helped train physicians, firefighters, EMTs and paramedics. His influence reached beyond the administrative responsibilities of an EMS director, with his career focused heavily on improving emergency care and preparing medical professionals to respond to critical situations.

Persse’s leadership became particularly visible during major emergencies affecting Houston. His experience in emergency medicine and public health placed him in positions where he helped the city prepare for and respond to hurricanes, infectious-disease outbreaks and other public-health challenges.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, he became one of the recognizable medical voices associated with Houston’s response. His public-health role required him to communicate medical information and help guide the city through an unprecedented health crisis.

Earlier in 2026, Persse retired from the Houston Fire Department after nearly three decades of service. His departure marked the end of a long chapter in Houston’s emergency medical leadership, with Dr. Kevin Schulz succeeding him as the department’s EMS Physician Director.

Although Persse had retired from his longtime city position, his influence remained visible through the medical professionals he had trained and mentored throughout his career.

Houston officials and members of the emergency-services community have remembered Persse for his dedication to public service, medical education and patient care. His work helped establish and strengthen systems that affected countless patients and emergency responders across the city.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Persse was a husband and father. He is survived by his wife, Beverly, and daughters Courtney and Carrie, along with extended family members, friends, colleagues and former students.

For those who worked with him, his legacy is found in more than titles or years of service. It lives through the physicians, paramedics, EMTs and firefighters who learned from him and carried his teachings into their own careers.

David Persse’s death brings an end to the life of a physician who devoted decades to helping others during some of their most difficult moments. From his early years as a paramedic to his leadership of Houston EMS and his work in public health, his career was defined by emergency medicine and service.

As his family, friends and former colleagues mourn his passing, Dr. David Persse will be remembered for the lives he influenced, the medical professionals he mentored and the lasting contribution he made to emergency medical services in Houston.