Posted on 08/03/2013 1:03:35 PM PDT by lowbridge
The night-vision image in the rescue helicopter showed a downed pilot in a life raft bobbing 35 miles from the Atlantic shoreline, but when Brian Fogle got ready to plunge down to him, the midnight sky and sea melded into inky blackness.
“The hard part was not being able to see anything,” Fogle said.
And then he stepped out that door and slid down a line into the rolling dark ocean.
The signal had come to the Coast Guard 20 to 30 minutes before 11 p.m. Thursday: A D.C. Air National Guard F-16C was down in the Atlantic after touching wings with another F-16 at 10:28 p.m. Air Force officials had no comment Friday on the cause of the costly accident.
The F-16s — which retail for upward of $18 million each — had been taking part in routine night training about 35 miles off the coast of Chincoteague Island when they collided. The second plane was damaged but not so crippled that it couldn’t limp home to Joint Base Andrews just outside the Capital Beltway in Prince George’s County.
All the Coast Guard knew at that point was that the pilot of the downed fighter jet was somewhere out there in the ocean.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Rescue swimmers: You have to go out. You don’t have to come back.
None braver.
Were you in on this?
Murry sez he can get one for us wholesale. retail. sheesh.
Big hat tip to the Coasties on this rescue. The USAF PJs have never failed to blow my mind. Can’t imagine the equivalent of jumping into combat with essentially a trauma center on your back and rifle in your hand.
Corpsmen, medics, lifeguards, rescue swimmers: all the first responders who dive into danger to save total strangers have my complete respect.
Absolutely.
US Coast Guard:You got to go out you, don’t have to come back.
CG moto long before rescue swimers were thought of.
That others may live.
Happy 223 birthday US Coast Guard.
CG motto long before rescue swimmers were thought of.
And one at total odds to the current LEO twin mottoes of:
"I felt threatened"
and
"I'm get to go home tonight no matter who or what needs to die today."
I 1st heard it in the 60’S in boot camp.
Guess I got to do some research on its origin which I am sure came about with”Life Boat” operations.
absolutely right
And they hardly ever get the glory
Bosun on a life boat is probably the CO.
Fortunate guy to ride that surf in a Govermnt funded hi powered craft.
Do a YouTube search for CG cape fear vids and enjoy the ride.
Pick his brain hes got some good stories too.
Whoops,
Do a YouTube search for CG cape fear vids and enjoy the ride.
Cape Disappointment vids,sorry.
Merlot and bergers
Yes, rescue swimmers are just incredible men. God bless them.
And one at total odds to the current LEO twin mottoes of: "I felt threatened" and "I'm get to go home tonight no matter who or what needs to die today."
Just damn. That really sums it up, doesn't it?
I’ve only met one USCG Rescue Swimmer. I asked him if he had any cool rescue stories to tell our Cub Scouts. He asked if we saw the movie “A Perfect Storm?” He was the guy who winched down to a ship and rescued a bunch of people.
These guys are one level above human.
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