The Rescue Swimmer Who Jumped In

When a fishing vessel capsized off the coast of Cape Disappointment, Washington, in February 2021, Coast Guard rescue swimmer Chris Dean faced a decision every AST dreads. The seas were running fifteen feet. Water temperature hovered at forty-four degrees. Two fishermen clung to the overturned hull, hypothermic and slipping. Dean could have stayed in the helicopter. The crew could have lowered a basket.…