Survivor and dog meet coast guard heroes
A man was rescued by the US Coast Guard on 10 July after his sailboat caught fire west of Hudson, Florida. He was hoisted to safety by a USCG helicopter crew along with his dog, Evi.
Image: USCG / Petty Officer 3rd Class Ashley J. Johnson
A 35-year-old man from Rome, Georgia, US, was rescued by the US Coast Guard (USCG) on 10 July after his sailboat caught fire 69 m (111 km) west of Hudson, Florida. He was hoisted to safety by a USCG helicopter crew along with his dog, Evi.
On 13 July, the sailor and dog visited Air Station Clearwater to meet the MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew that saved them. Among the crew were pilots Lt Chanel Lee and Lt Francis Cheske, who gave the pair a tour of the air station.
The man recalled how he had radioed the coast guard, repeating ‘mayday’ and ‘burning boat’ along with his co-ordinates and the boat’s name. Before hearing a response, he abandoned ship and climbed into a dinghy along with Evi. He said: “The next thing I know, I looked up and saw the orange and white helicopter, and I almost jumped in right then and started swimming towards it.” The sailor also recalled the relief he felt when he saw the rescue swimmer hit the water: “It was like a burden taken off my shoulders, knowing that ‘I’m gonna to be OK’.” Despite losing his vessel in the fire, he expressed his gratitude and said it was heartwarming to meet the crew who ‘do their job to get people like me who make bad decisions, or even who didn’t make bad decisions, and just had misfortune out there’.
US Coast Guard video by Petty Officer 3rd Class Ashley J. Johnson