My Dad is my hero, with video proof

[Forester Parts]

Many kids grow up thinking their dad is a hero. This is the video proof for my dad. My dad (Del) is the front man in the boat. My Grandpa's brother (Jerry) is on the chopper. I have a cool family that served for many, many years on the local volunteer fire department.

Members served, Grandpa, Dad, Myself, Grandpa's Brothers, a couple uncles, a couple cousins, a couple aunts.

Check out the video it is pretty cool.

http://blog.discountarboristsupply.com/

Special Thanks to Jerry for finding the video and for rescuing the rescuers.

 

[sotc]

Interesting

 

[Mr. Sir]

Pretty cool!

 

[MasterBlaster]

Good on him!

 

[woodworkingboy]

Good ending there.

 

[Mr. Sir]

She seemed pretty calm afterward. I don't think she realized how dangerous a situation that was. High water is a lot more powerful than it looks.

 

[woodworkingboy]

I wondered how the heck she got into that situation?

 

[Old Monkey]

That was cool. I'm not sure I agree with the methodology, taking that helicopter that low to the water seemed unnecessary. There had to be a better way then to have an unfastened guy hanging off the skid. Rotor wash on such a small boat could have swamped it too.

 

[Forester Parts]

Keep in mind that this was the early to mid 1980's. The methods were not very developed. Most of the books and manuals were created by doing things like this. Then going back and thinking about it. This was the first real water rescue team in all of southwest MO. Also, it looks like he isn't belted in. However, for sure he was. Towards the end you can see were both hands are working with the rope. He is leaning way out of the chopper. From that angle you can tell he is belted in. My dad said "less than a minute after we had her on the bank, the truck washed 50-100' down stream.

 

[Old Monkey]

Point taken. I didn't mean to diminish their effort.

 

[Blinky]

I'vge spent a lot of year in heavy duty whitewater and trained for swift water rescue with crews and in workshops. I think that was an extraordinarily intelligent, efficient and gutsy rescue.

They surfed that hydraulic and eddied behind the truck and it looked planned. They also knew they would need something to tow them out of the back current, hence the chopper. It went click, click, click, the execution was flawless. That hydraulic was extremely uniform and dangerous, it's only exit point was behind the truck where the current was disrupted.

Most crews would've over thought it and mounted some kind monumental rescue that would have still, no doubt, involved a chopper. Swift water crews always call choppers... it kind of bugs me, they usually aren't very good in those conditions. I've never heard of one used for towing though. Usually they lower a rescue swimmer and often the swimmer gets hurt because flood conditions and windy weather kinda go hand in hand.


Not only is your Dad a hero, he's a fast thinking, courageous man... VERY impressive.