Coast Guard Heroes: James Chandler and Air Station Houston Aircrew Save Woman From Floodwaters
With Hurricane Henri’s demise in the North Atlantic earlier this week, Coast Guard units in the Northeast stood down from their heightened readiness status. They also assessed any damage to local waterways and their facilities as they prepared for the next emergency.
In other storms, however, Coast Guard crews are called into action to rescue those imperiled by floods, storm surge and high winds. And because of the Coast Guard’s highly specialized equipment and trained resourceful crews, they are often called to assist first responders and hospitals to save lives and relieve suffering far from the coast.
This was the story when Tropical Storm Imelda brought record-breaking flooding to parts of southeast Texas in 2019. A helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Houston was called to rescue an unconscious woman, Julia Weisinger, who was stranded by floodwaters.
Petty Officer 3rd Class James Chandler, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, provided medical care and CPR as the helicopter navigated the heavy winds and rain en route to the hospital. And his heroic actions didn’t stop there.
We profiled Chandler during our recent Heroes of the Coast Guard Virtual Event. You can watch his story here:
For more inspiring stories of Coast Guard crews in action, and information on how the Coast Guard Foundation assists them, watch the full broadcast below and on the Coast Guard Foundation’s YouTube channel.
Cover Photo: Lt. j.g. Sean Kshimetski, Petty Officer 1st Class Andre Ramos, and Petty Officer 3rd Class James Chandler pose with Mrs. Julia Weisinger and family at Air Station Houston, Jan. 15, 2020. The aircrew medevac’d Weisinger from flood waters to a hospital during Tropical Storm Imelda in 2019. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Paige Hause)
