Rescue swimmer awarded Distinguished Flying Cross for swimming through hell to rescue 59 others
HOUSTON, TX – AUGUST 28: A Coast Guard helicopter hoists a wheel chair on board after lifting a person to safety from the area that was inundated with flooding from Hurricane Harvey on August 28, 2017 in Houston, Texas. Harvey, which made landfall north of Corpus Christi late Friday evening, is expected to dump upwards to 40 inches of rain in Texas over the next couple of days. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
No way I could let this story pass- you all know my SAR Helo background- and the Coasties have world-class rescue crews. This is an amazing saga of that capability.
By: Shawn Snow
He swam at night through 80 knot winds, ripped through a roof without the aid of a chainsaw and was repeatedly hoisted more than 100 feet into the air while battling turbulence and dangerous power lines around him as he aided in the rescue of 59 others in Houston, Texas, as Hurricane Harvey battered the area in August 2017.
For his heroic feats during Harvey, Petty Officer 3rd Class Tyler Gantt, a Coast Guard aviation survival technician, or rescue swimmer, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross — the U.S. military’s oldest aviation award for heroism in flight — during a ceremony in December at the Coast Guard Aviation Training Center in Mobile, Alabama.
His exploits in the rescue of 59 were detailed in award citation the Coast Guard posted in a news release. Two others, Coast Guard Cmdr. Scott Sanborn and Lt. John Briggs also were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for their heroism in response to Hurricane Harvey, a news release detailed.
Operating aboard a MH-65D Coast Guard helciopter, Gantt was deployed to Houston for rescue operations following flooding as a result of Hurricane Harvey.
Gantt was launched “into an unfamiliar operating area at night with winds gusting over 80 knots, visibility below 50 feet and torrential rain to respond to a critically-ill pregnant woman trapped by rising waters in her attic,” the award citation reads.
While dealing with “severe turbulence,” Gannt was hoisted multiple times “through a small opening between active power lines to search for and triage the ill woman,” the citation detailed.
In another rescue, “Gantt dove from the roof into the swift-moving water to grab an infant who was swept away from his father,” according to the citation.
Gantt “then located additional survivors signaling from a home being quickly engulfed by the flood waters. Without the use of a chainsaw, he tore through the roof to extract and hoist the seven people to safety before water overtook the home,” the award citation reads.
During the ceremony two additional DFCs were awarded to Helo pilots, and a Flight Mechanic received an Air Medal for their heroism during the relief efforts. Read the entire article here: Military Times
Bravo Zulu!
Category: Coast Guard, Search and Rescue
wow. I feel bad, all I did was watch the storm and the waters rise, and finally took some agua into the casa a day later when everything backed up a la Bill Cosby. Surprised I didn’t hear his big brass ones clanking, over the storm.
Much Class and a lot of Brass. BZ and Job Well done to PO3 Tyler Gantt and his Merry Band of SAR Troops.
Gantt was launched “into an unfamiliar operating area at night with winds gusting over 80 knots, visibility below 50 feet and torrential rain to respond to a critically-ill pregnant(*Note) woman trapped by rising waters in her attic,” the award citation reads.
In another rescue, “Gantt dove from the roof into the swift-moving water to grab an infant who was swept away from his father,” according to the citation.
Gantt “then located additional survivors signaling from a home being quickly engulfed by the flood waters. Without the use of a chainsaw, and by using his engorged, throbbing, Mohs hardness scale 11+, Paleolithic, massive manhood, as a crowbar, he tore through the roof to extract and hoist the seven people to safety before water overtook the home,” the award citation reads.
* The previously mentioned woman in the rescue was reportedly not pregnant upon first contact, however, it appears was soon thereafter, confirmed during later triage, that she was impregnated by the mere sight of Petty Officer 3rd Class Tyler Gantt launched through the storm night skies to her aid.
/The End
Bravo! To both of you.
THAT is EXACTLY what happened
How that hoist didn’t break under the strain of repeated lifting of PO3 Tyler Gantt’s fucking balls is a mystery to me.
Pretty sure the testicular wight exceeded the max lift capacity of the helo as well once you add the crew’s set.
Truly. But, evidently, to CG pilots the winds are always gentle zephyrs and visibility never gets worse than okay; Lake Woebegone weather.
Not only do rescue swimmers have to cope with less than ideal conditions of their own but they also have to have confidence in the pilots’ ability to cope with their own difficulties and still cover the swimmers. Rambo has nothing on these guys.
Well done Sir!
Outstanding fellow rotorheads!
Helluva set of brass clankers!
Ok I (we) may bash coasties, but when the Taco Bell mixed with Bud light shit hits the mega fan and the world is falling apart, they grin and say let’s party! BZ and how do you tuck balls that big into a flight suit? DFC- something says he won’t be a 3rd for very long.
Why isn’t there a Distinguished Swimming Cross?
OOPS! I Really need glasses! I clicked the damned “report comment” by mistake instead of “reply.” Sorry to you, to and whomever has to take a look at your post! What I was going to reply was that there are probably Gold Livesaving Medals in these guy’s futures as well. I certainly hope so. They certainly deserve them.
The ultimate accolade awaits:
The stolen valor crowd will start pretending to be CG swimmers
BZ, shipmate! Absolutely awesome!!!
Thousands of posers are now forming a similar script to create their hero “veteran-ness” aura. Get ready.
Something tells me that he is probably very humble about it all – just “doing my job.”
Thank God for men and women like him.
A long time ago in the 13th Coast Guard District, Group North Bend, We lost our C.O. in a storm that was very similar to this one in Houston. I don’t think there were “CATs” for Hurricanes back then, and as far north as this was, it may not have been officially called a hurricane, I don’t know. I’m not from a Gulf State, and I have never seen anything like it since. I had to hoist a Storm Flag(One big International Orange square with a black square in the center) and when the wind took that thing like a kite it jerked me off the ground. That brand new flag was tatters in the morning, and power was out on a great deal of the Oregon coast. There had been a few days warning for this storm before it hit, so thankfully we did not have to go out in that horrible shit on our 44ft MLB at my duty station. CG Helo Pilots and crew were like gods to us! We’d train with them monthly during “Helo-Ops” and even when they’d get into the area and come over on the FM Ch. 21 they sounded otherworldly. Kinda like a steely whisper into a fan, plus when they’d hoist one of us up you never saw their faces because of their flight helmets. They’s point, you’d sit. Then you’d be allowed to jump into the Pacific at a reasonable height. More than 50ft and I think they’d have given you the ‘cut throat hand sign.’ Back to that storm. As is usually the case some dickhead either didn’t get the memo near Coos Bay, or willfully decided to go out anyway. I’m amazed anyone could look at those seas and think that was a good idea. Of course they had to squeal for help later, and our Group Captain volunteered himself to pilot what would have been almost certainly an H-52 from Air station North Bend to go rescue this dumbass. On board were a Lt.(co-pilot) with the coolest last name imaginable for any armed service, and another whose… Read more »