In this episode of The Real ResQ, we get a full debrief by the entire crew of USCG 6009, PIC Will Sirokman, SIC Tripp Haas, Flight Mech Joe Ivy, Flight Mech Kyle Turcotte, and RS1032 Branch Walton. These men were the crew that responded to the vessel crushed by a huge wave, capsizing the vessel and tossing the survivor around like a rag doll.  Will, Tripp, Joe, and Kyle were taking a look at weather and sea state when the call came in.  A radio call back to base for a Rescue Swimmer, it was Branch who won a game of rock-paper-scissors to jump on the helo for his very first rescue mis ..read more

In this episode of The Real ResQ, we are joined by Daniel Foust, former USMC pilot and founder and CEO of Corporate Aviation Security International (CASI). While working overseas, he and his crews were tasked with all sorts of different missions.  As for the mission we discussed, Daniel and crew flew out to a Forward Operating Base (FOB) to do an extraction of a few people. However, the manifest that was handed to them was inaccurate and missing a name.  This required them to go back out into “bad guy country” again.  Enjoy!   https://therealresq.com/home https://www.facebo ..read more

In this episode of The Real ResQ, we are joined by Jerry Hoover USCG RS 104.  I was able to spend the first four months of my Rescue Swimmer career with Jerry in Elizabeth City, NC.  Prior to school, while I was an Airman at the shop, Jerry was one of the guys that helped prepare me for Rescue Swimmer School.  We talked about his very first rescue out of New Orleans, which just so happened to be the very first rescue made by a Rescue Swimmer in New Orleans.  This case involved a call out for an overdue boat in Lake Pontchartrain which turned out to be people in the water. N ..read more

In this episode of The Real ResQ, we are joined by Jarrod Garber from South Africa, working with the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI).  As he was called into the principal's office (for his kids), he saw the quarterly magazine for NSRI.  Immediately he knew that's what he wanted to do.  We talk about his very first rescue, where he was at the base ready to go before the call out was made.  A yacht in distress had lost its motor and tattered sails, making it dead in the water.  He and his crew took the yacht in tow and saved the boat and the crew. Jarrod tells of hi ..read more

In this episode of The Real ResQ, we are joined by Jordan Gottfried, a USCG Flight Mechanic. Jordan, sits down with me and talks about three rescues that he had while stationed in San Francisco, CA.  The first one we talk about also happens to be his very first rescue as a flight mech.  A victim was reported stuck on Greyhound Rock and needed help to get off as the tide was coming in. The second rescue we talk about earned him a Letter of Commendation for helping rescue four people and two dogs from a boat stuck in the mud.  The final rescue story was about a missing paddle boar ..read more

In this episode of The Real ResQ, we are joined by three USCG pilots that host the Flight Suit Friday Podcast.  We recorded live at HAI Heli Expo 2023 at the USCG Booth and we talked a lot about rescues, training and lessons learned.  Each of the guys go over their first rescue and then a memorable rescue.  Each of them is very different and each of them we get an opportunity to debrief with them and go over lessons learned. Enjoy!   https://therealresq.com/home https://www.facebook.com/therealresq https://www.instagram.com/therealresq   Thank you for sponsoring this e ..read more

In this episode of The Real ResQ, we are joined by Renato Augusto from Brazil. Renato is a Military Firefighter in the state of Santa Catarina, South of Brazil. He saw a Rescue Helicopter (Firefighter and HEMS) flying above his job in the resort one day and told himself, “that's what I want to do!” After training, when he was finally working on the helo, the fist rescue that he remembers was a man who fell in waterfalls. This took place 50 miles away from the base and right as sunset was coming. Another rescue Renato recalls involves three victims and two lifeguards being sucked out to sea and ..read more

In this episode of The Real ResQ, we are joined by Steven Doherty, Paramedic and SAR Commander for Tower RNLI Lifeboat Station, London, United Kingdom.  Steven, originally from Ireland, fell into the love of SAR from a very young age.  At the age of 14, he found himself involved with a man stuck in the mud.  As he watched a community come together to help the man in need, from that point forward, his heart was always into Search and Rescue.  As soon as he was old enough, he volunteered with the local rescue lifeboat.  After secondary school, he moved to England to comp ..read more

In this episode of The Real ResQ, I teamed up with Jon Gray from Hangar Z podcast and together we interview the crew of Riverside County Sheriff's Department, Aviation Unit Star 9, who won the Airborne Public Safety Association Captain “Gus” Crawford Memorial Aircrew of the year award for 2022. (Episode 72 on the Hangar Z Podcast site.)  The crew consisted of Deputy Chad Marlatt acting as the PIC, Corporal Andy Rasmussen acting as the SIC, Deputy Drew Pigott acting as the Crew Chief, Deputy Michael Edwards Rescuer, and Deputy Mike Doyle acting as the catcher. In the interview, the Rescue ..read more

In this episode of The Real ResQ, we are joined by Doctor Ikenna Worgu from Nigeria.  Ikenna has a very unique story about his profession.  As an optometrist doctor, his goal has been to give people their sight back.  He has been able to practice in five different countries helping those in need.  One of the stories that stands out to him was when he was doing an exam on an elderly lady and she went into cardiac arrest in front of him. He immediately began CPR to bring her back to life. The patient was so grateful Ikenna helped save her life that she insisted that he perfor ..read more