Crews' training mission becomes rescue

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Crews' training mission becomes rescue

[FONT=Times New Roman, Serif]Patrick units pull boater from ocean
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BY R. NORMAN MOODY
FLORIDA TODAY
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PATRICK AIR FORCE BASE - Russell Alger is a fortunate man.
As dusk descended Thursday, the 66-year-old Longwood resident fell overboard, without a life jacket, about five miles off South Daytona.
Lt. Col. Paul Nevius from the 920th Rescue Wing, piloting the HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter on his way back to Patrick Air Force Base with a second helicopter after a training mission, spotted a 21-foot boat traveling erratically at full throttle a few miles inland from where, unbeknownst to him, Alger was bobbing in the ocean.
Had it not been for unplanned changes in his route, Nevius wouldn't have been anywhere near where Alger and his boat were found.
"A lot of things got us there," Nevius said. "Grace-of-God kind of things."
Once they spotted the boat, the crews turned around to get a closer look. After seeing no one aboard, they coordinated with the Coast Guard and, at about 5:15 p.m., began what turned out to be three-hour search for the missing boater.
At about 8 p.m., the Air Force helicopter crew spotted Alger. Pararescue jumpers Staff Sgt. Kacee Holmes and Master Sgt. Chris Seinkner jumped from the helicopter into the ocean to rescue him.
"He was waving his arms," Seinkner said. "I told him, 'You're so lucky we found you.' He said he was glad to see us."
They hoisted him to safety at 8:20 p.m.
His boat was recovered and was in the possession of the Flagler County Sheriff's Office.
A series of pure coincidences led to Alger's rescue.
The Air Force team of two helicopter crews planned to train near the Keys but because of inclement weather instead headed north toward Gainesville. At the end of the training, the helicopters had to fly east because of bad weather over the middle of the state. Then they ended up flying out over the ocean to stay out of flight patterns near Daytona Beach.
Meanwhile, pararescuers were at the base preparing their equipment for a night training jump. That allowed them to get to the rescue location a lot faster than normal when the call came that they were needed.
It was Holmes' first civilian rescue and his first time to hoist someone out of the ocean.
"It was amazing," he said. "I didn't think about it much. We just jumped."
The Air Force crew flew Alger to Daytona International Airport. He declined medical treatment and was released in good condition. He could not be reached Friday.
 
I met a couple of guys from the 920th. Good dudes, glad to see them get some positive pub.
 
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Staff Sgt. Kacee Holmes (left) and Master Sgt. Chris Seinkner were preparing for a pararescue training mission when they got called out on a real life-saving mission June 28 that resulted in rescuing a 66-year-old man from the Atlantic Ocean. The two Airmen are Air Force Reserve pararescuemen with the 920th Rescue Wing at Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. (U.S. Air Force photo)
 
Thanks for the gratitude guys

Thanks for posting all of the replies. I am SSGT Kacee Holmes. Just another day at the office for us. That's what happens when a scheduled night water free fall jump turns into a real world mission
 
Welcome to the site SSGT Kacee Holmes!

Nothing like having an intro thread waiting or ya when you arrive. :huh?:


Outstanding!


Thank you for your Service!
 
RescueSig great to have You here ! I always admired PJs, you guys are the best combat medics the military has ever seen.

BTW, nice head shot :D (no gay there)

I have a question, where did the "Green Feet" thing start ?
 
The Green Feet were started by a PJ named Wayne Fisk (ret. Cheif Badass). He and a buddy came back from some work. Got drunk on Mekong Whisky, went to a tattoo parlor where they saw some navy guy getting a Sailboat tatted on his chest ... it was dirty as shit and decided they weren't drunk enough...so the finished the bottle just outside the parlor, went in, and with the same bloody needle and bloody rag from the dirty seaman, got green feet on their ass. and yes, Cheif told me the story himself, and dropped his pants right there to show. He's just about the most foul mouthed disgusting PJ i've met, and i hope that someday i'll be half the PJ he is. Btw, his green feet have 5 toes (for all you other J's who say it should be four...and i dare you to tell him that it should be)

Sidenote:
Yo Kacee, it's Doug...how's FL ya bastard, this desert shit's gettin way old. Take care be safe, congrats on the mish.

DN out
 
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