User 1019
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2004
- Messages
- 17,679
My team was fortunate enough to be part of a ridiculously humbling experience this week in Belize.
At about 0030 hours on Wednesday, I was notified of a potential search and rescue mission for U.S. citizen missing off the coast of Belize. Young A&M graduate from Houston had been involved in a jet ski accident just off San Pedro Island -- about 30 miles northeast of Belize City.
After some initial planning, our team -- one Chinook crew and my (MEDEVAC) crew -- launched on what we realized was more than likely a recovery mission, than one for rescue. About an hour after landing in Belize City, we began searching the bay between San Pedro and the mainland. About an hour later, we found the young woman approximately four miles west of the accident site, in the middle of the bay, just off Secret Beach.
The story of our medic is a one of absolute balls of steel. A skinny kid from North Carolina with a heavy Southern accent, he came to our unit an admittedly weak swimmer. After a few weeks of training, he passed his certifications and became one of our designated swimmers -- Soldiers who train in the water for exactly this type of mission.
In the hour we spent searching, we spotted no less than a dozen sharks and a few dozen large barracuda. Without hesitation, he jumped into the water to recover a woman whose life he obviously could not save.
Our young crew chief, who is new to the MEDEVAC mission, put aside some significant personal fears in handling his first fatality.
Although we couldn't save her life, I'm absolutely humbled that we could be a part of something to help bring closure to the family.
Texas woman found dead in Belize after jet skiing | Daily Mail Online
At about 0030 hours on Wednesday, I was notified of a potential search and rescue mission for U.S. citizen missing off the coast of Belize. Young A&M graduate from Houston had been involved in a jet ski accident just off San Pedro Island -- about 30 miles northeast of Belize City.
After some initial planning, our team -- one Chinook crew and my (MEDEVAC) crew -- launched on what we realized was more than likely a recovery mission, than one for rescue. About an hour after landing in Belize City, we began searching the bay between San Pedro and the mainland. About an hour later, we found the young woman approximately four miles west of the accident site, in the middle of the bay, just off Secret Beach.
The story of our medic is a one of absolute balls of steel. A skinny kid from North Carolina with a heavy Southern accent, he came to our unit an admittedly weak swimmer. After a few weeks of training, he passed his certifications and became one of our designated swimmers -- Soldiers who train in the water for exactly this type of mission.
In the hour we spent searching, we spotted no less than a dozen sharks and a few dozen large barracuda. Without hesitation, he jumped into the water to recover a woman whose life he obviously could not save.
Our young crew chief, who is new to the MEDEVAC mission, put aside some significant personal fears in handling his first fatality.
Although we couldn't save her life, I'm absolutely humbled that we could be a part of something to help bring closure to the family.
Texas woman found dead in Belize after jet skiing | Daily Mail Online
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