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JFK Rescue at Sea - With a Twist

Navy Newsstand

Story Number: NNS031218-11

Release Date: 12/18/2003 12:54:00 PM

By Sgt. Christopher Stanis 1st Armored Division Public Affairs Office

By Journalist 2nd Class Tyce Velde, USS John F. Kennedy Public Affairs

ABOARD USS JOHN F. KENNEDY (NNS) -- A search and rescue swimmer aboard USS John F. Kennedy found out firsthand how it feels to be rescued Dec. 14, when a wave knocked him out of a rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB) during a man-overboard drill.

Aviation Support Equipment Technician 3rd Class (AW) Chester DeRon was manning the RHIB as part of a five-person boat crew during the drill, when an unexpected wave washed him into the ocean.

Electronics Warfare Technician 2nd Class Teresa Stull happened to be on deck performing some tests on Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 15 Red Lions' 30-minute alert helicopter.

When the pilot told her they were taking off, she first thought her search and rescue (SAR) training petty officer, Aviation Warfare Systems Operator 2nd Class Mangai Ho Sang, was testing her readiness with a drill.

"I didn't know it was the real thing until I looked out of the window of the helicopter," she said. "I saw that there was a real person down there in the water, and my heart started beating."

Ironically, it was one of Kennedy's SAR swimmers.

"It was a textbook rescue," said Aviation Warfare Systems Operator 2nd Class Kevin Helmer, a Red Lion senior crewman. "The seas were pretty smooth, and the water was warm, but it's never safe to go down that hoist into the ocean."

SAR swimmers train for braving the elements at a moment's notice to save another Sailor's life. Despite receiving rigorous training and constant practice, they don't often get to use their skills in a real rescue since it's relatively rare for anyone to fall overboard.

According to Stull, she couldn't think of a better reward for the hard work she's done preparing to become a SAR swimmer.

"It was a while before the reaction hit me," she added. "I kept thinking, 'Is this for real?' This is the ultimate for a SAR swimmer, rescuing someone from the ocean. After all of this training and hard work, I don't even know how to say how good it feels."