1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:03,400 Speaker 1: We'd like to acknowledge that traditional custodians of the land 2 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:06,840 Speaker 1: on which this podcast was produced, the Galliger people of 3 00:00:06,920 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 1: the orination. We pay our respects to Elder's past and present. 4 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:16,520 Speaker 2: It's April nineteen ninety five and we're in the Atlantic Ocean, 5 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:20,040 Speaker 2: one hundred and four kilometers away from land. The water 6 00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:23,439 Speaker 2: is cold, the wind is high, the waves are strong. 7 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:28,639 Speaker 2: Captain Brian Yudell is fighting for his life. He's just 8 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:32,479 Speaker 2: survived the highest speed ejection from a US fighter aircraft 9 00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:37,479 Speaker 2: at nearly one three hundred kilometers per hour. He feels 10 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:40,760 Speaker 2: like his body has just collided with a freight train. 11 00:00:42,640 --> 00:00:46,080 Speaker 2: The salt water is making him painfully aware of the 12 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:51,160 Speaker 2: open wounds that cover his broken body. Brian starts to pray. 13 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:54,640 Speaker 2: He has to get home to his wife, who is 14 00:00:54,680 --> 00:00:58,720 Speaker 2: four months pregnant with their first child. It'll be four 15 00:00:58,800 --> 00:01:05,760 Speaker 2: grueling hours of until Brian is rescued. I'm at Middleton 16 00:01:05,959 --> 00:01:12,040 Speaker 2: and this is head Game today, an unbelievable story of perseverance, 17 00:01:12,440 --> 00:01:20,039 Speaker 2: strength and return to the sguise. Brian, you welcome to 18 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:22,440 Speaker 2: my podcast, head Game. How are you? 19 00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:24,080 Speaker 3: I'm well, how are you? Sir? 20 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 2: I'm always going to listen it to me, that should 21 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:30,400 Speaker 2: recording you, sir, take me back to when you first 22 00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:36,040 Speaker 2: got into any type of aircraft and the fascination of flying. 23 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:37,680 Speaker 2: When did that first hit you. 24 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:40,920 Speaker 3: I'm a multi generational pilot, so it's in the DNA. 25 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:44,160 Speaker 3: My father was a fighter pilot for thirty one years, 26 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:47,640 Speaker 3: and I started flying when I was nine years old. 27 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 3: Aviations all I know. I've been an airplane my whole life. 28 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:56,120 Speaker 3: So yeah, it was just a natural progression for me 29 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:57,560 Speaker 3: to follow in those footsteps. 30 00:01:57,880 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 2: I suppose being around that twenty seven that's just embedded 31 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:03,320 Speaker 2: in you, whether you like it or not. 32 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:07,720 Speaker 3: Right, it's good and it's bad because he got no slack. 33 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:09,880 Speaker 2: So yeah, I can imagine. 34 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 3: You know. I remember complaining once. 35 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 2: And once only once. 36 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:21,360 Speaker 3: Only yes, and I said, you know, I'm tired. I was. 37 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:23,800 Speaker 3: I was in the middle of pilot training and they 38 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:26,639 Speaker 3: they do all of the things, they try to give 39 00:02:26,680 --> 00:02:29,560 Speaker 3: you twenty five hours worth of stuff and twenty four 40 00:02:29,600 --> 00:02:30,959 Speaker 3: hours to do it, and oh, by the way, you 41 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:34,000 Speaker 3: got to find some time to sleep. And and so 42 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:38,239 Speaker 3: I remember complaining called him up and I was like, man, Dad, 43 00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:40,240 Speaker 3: I'm just I'm just really tired. He goes, you don't 44 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:43,520 Speaker 3: know tired, he goes, wait till you get to combat. 45 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 3: You work when you have to, and you sleep when 46 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 3: you can, and you just you just go. You put 47 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:53,040 Speaker 3: it on and you go, and if there's a little break, 48 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:54,960 Speaker 3: you can take a nap. But when it's time to go, 49 00:02:55,000 --> 00:02:55,680 Speaker 3: it's time to go. 50 00:02:56,080 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 2: That's the classic military I suppose way is and that 51 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:02,880 Speaker 2: it's when you can grab that nap, grab it because 52 00:03:02,919 --> 00:03:04,600 Speaker 2: you don't know when the next one's coming. 53 00:03:04,680 --> 00:03:05,480 Speaker 3: It's exactly right. 54 00:03:05,639 --> 00:03:08,840 Speaker 2: Tell me what happened on the eighteenth for April nineteen 55 00:03:08,919 --> 00:03:10,480 Speaker 2: ninety five, we were. 56 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:17,760 Speaker 3: On a night training mission. Standard I was number three 57 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 3: of a four ship. We were doing what we call 58 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 3: a surge week, where. 59 00:03:24,200 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 2: So when you say number three of a fourth ship, 60 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:30,360 Speaker 2: there's four four aircrafts and your number three correct. 61 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:32,520 Speaker 3: This particular night, we're going to go out and do 62 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:35,840 Speaker 3: what we call two v two aired air intercepts. That's 63 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 3: where two aircraft are going to pose two aircraft at night. 64 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:43,880 Speaker 3: It's really a targeting and sorting exercise. It's a communications event. 65 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:49,400 Speaker 3: You're not really shooting live you're not shooting live munitions 66 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:53,400 Speaker 3: at each other, but it's the ability to effectively communicate 67 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:56,360 Speaker 3: between the two aircraft between the four people in those 68 00:03:56,400 --> 00:04:02,720 Speaker 3: two aircraft and effectively figure out what the presentation is 69 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:07,160 Speaker 3: that the opposing group is giving you effectively communicate that 70 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:10,800 Speaker 3: between the aircraft, properly target and sort, sort and target 71 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:13,760 Speaker 3: those two aircraft and then put missiles in the air 72 00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:19,000 Speaker 3: so that you're not both targeting one aircraft or you know, 73 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:21,719 Speaker 3: it's it's a lot of calm discipline. You know. The 74 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:25,719 Speaker 3: success I help people war hasn't changed in a thousand years. 75 00:04:25,880 --> 00:04:29,200 Speaker 3: And whether you're blowing a bugle or banging on a 76 00:04:29,279 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 3: drum or waving a guide on, it's the ability to 77 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:35,159 Speaker 3: effectively communicate is the side that's going to be. It's 78 00:04:35,160 --> 00:04:38,960 Speaker 3: going to prevail because I can communicate effectively, we can 79 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:43,840 Speaker 3: put we can put force concentration in. So we're doing 80 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:46,400 Speaker 3: our thing. We were actually on our fourth intercept, this 81 00:04:46,480 --> 00:04:50,960 Speaker 3: airplane that had some mechanical problems and what we call 82 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 3: ground aboard it twice the week before. What that means 83 00:04:54,400 --> 00:04:57,760 Speaker 3: is is they started the airplane up and for whatever reason, 84 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:01,360 Speaker 3: it didn't pass it's built in tests, and so they 85 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:04,240 Speaker 3: gave it back to maintenance to work on. When I 86 00:05:04,360 --> 00:05:06,840 Speaker 3: showed up at the airplane, the first thing we do is, 87 00:05:06,839 --> 00:05:09,839 Speaker 3: we salute the crew chief, we pick up the maintenance forms, 88 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:12,760 Speaker 3: We review the maintenance forms. I could see that this 89 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:17,760 Speaker 3: airplane had some previous discrepancies that were still kind of 90 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:21,320 Speaker 3: coming up with issues. But supposedly it was a good aircraft. 91 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:23,920 Speaker 3: So we do our walk around, We climb in the jet, 92 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:26,680 Speaker 3: We start to jet up, and it runs through its 93 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:30,679 Speaker 3: test and it failed three different tests. The central computer 94 00:05:31,839 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 3: was not operating properly, the display processor was not operating properly, 95 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:39,920 Speaker 3: and the heads up display failed. And so we called 96 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:43,040 Speaker 3: out maintenance. Maintenance plugs into the aircraft and we start 97 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:45,520 Speaker 3: talking about it, and they said, well, you know what's 98 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:47,400 Speaker 3: been fixing it before is just turn it off and 99 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:50,320 Speaker 3: turn it back on. Just recycle it. Boy, I tell 100 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:53,480 Speaker 3: you what, people say that to me. Yeah, right exactly. 101 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:55,520 Speaker 3: But people say that to me, I just want to 102 00:05:55,600 --> 00:06:01,520 Speaker 3: choke them. And so so we turned it off and 103 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:05,160 Speaker 3: we turn it back on, and we repeat this multiple times, 104 00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 3: and finally we've got a good airplane. There were no 105 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:10,720 Speaker 3: spares to step two. All the other jets were broken 106 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:15,800 Speaker 3: or being utilized, so it was love the one you're with. 107 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:17,719 Speaker 3: So we worked it and worked at work it. Finally 108 00:06:17,720 --> 00:06:20,600 Speaker 3: we got a good airplane. We taxied probably five minutes 109 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:24,600 Speaker 3: after the other three aircraft did. We have contingencies. Every 110 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:30,280 Speaker 3: military operation has contingencies because you know your initial plan 111 00:06:30,440 --> 00:06:32,360 Speaker 3: very rarely is going to go as planned where you 112 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:37,040 Speaker 3: don't roll x into some contingency operations. So they had 113 00:06:37,080 --> 00:06:39,279 Speaker 3: a contingency if I wasn't able to get down there, 114 00:06:39,279 --> 00:06:40,920 Speaker 3: but we were able to get down there with them, 115 00:06:40,960 --> 00:06:44,000 Speaker 3: get armed up, and we launched. We met up with 116 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:47,200 Speaker 3: an air to air refueling tanker, a casey ten that 117 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:50,800 Speaker 3: was parked in an air refueling track. We cycled through. 118 00:06:50,839 --> 00:06:53,600 Speaker 3: We got about four thousand pounds of gas each, and 119 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:56,400 Speaker 3: then we went out into what we call the Whiskeys. 120 00:06:56,880 --> 00:07:00,920 Speaker 3: That's the warning areas off the coast of the United States, 121 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:04,080 Speaker 3: the East coast the United States, and that allows us 122 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:06,440 Speaker 3: to be able to train like we fight, meaning we 123 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:11,480 Speaker 3: can go supersonic without blowing windows and knocking china off 124 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:14,080 Speaker 3: the walls and you know, really getting people upset with us. 125 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:19,720 Speaker 3: It also gives us the actual time compression. When you've 126 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:23,280 Speaker 3: got two airplanes coming at each other over the mock, 127 00:07:24,720 --> 00:07:26,960 Speaker 3: things happen very quick. You might be one hundred and 128 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:29,760 Speaker 3: fifty miles away, but that one hundred and fifty miles away. 129 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:32,200 Speaker 3: When you got a closure rated over one thousand miles 130 00:07:32,200 --> 00:07:34,000 Speaker 3: an hour, we'll go. 131 00:07:34,040 --> 00:07:36,200 Speaker 2: By a thousand miles an hour. 132 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:42,040 Speaker 3: So it's you have to be thinking fast. You have 133 00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:43,680 Speaker 3: to stay ahead of what's going on. 134 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:46,560 Speaker 2: You're specializing it before it happens exactly. 135 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:49,400 Speaker 3: And that's why we practice this over and over and over, 136 00:07:49,480 --> 00:07:52,760 Speaker 3: so it becomes where you start to see things happen 137 00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:55,280 Speaker 3: before they happen. You know what's going to happen before 138 00:07:55,320 --> 00:08:00,600 Speaker 3: they happen, and then you just execute. And if things 139 00:08:00,640 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 3: aren't going the way you want them to go, you 140 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:08,000 Speaker 3: have a specific outrange, and that's a range be no range. 141 00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:10,440 Speaker 3: We will be no closer than this. If we don't 142 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:12,600 Speaker 3: have our ducks in a row, we don't have eything 143 00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:17,800 Speaker 3: doped out, we're out and you get out, and it's 144 00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:20,440 Speaker 3: like get out before you like you mean it, and 145 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:23,880 Speaker 3: then come back and try to re engage again. But 146 00:08:24,360 --> 00:08:28,080 Speaker 3: this particular event, we got our gas, we went out 147 00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:31,880 Speaker 3: and the first two intercepts went off without a hitch, 148 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:35,199 Speaker 3: and about forty five minutes into the flight, we were 149 00:08:35,200 --> 00:08:37,400 Speaker 3: on our third intercept, and this was the first one 150 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:40,360 Speaker 3: where myself and my wingman. We're going to play what 151 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:45,720 Speaker 3: we call red air the adversary side, and we're going 152 00:08:45,800 --> 00:08:51,320 Speaker 3: to give them a presentation that was prominent from the 153 00:08:51,320 --> 00:08:56,960 Speaker 3: old former Soviet Union tactics. We bring them into res 154 00:08:57,040 --> 00:09:01,600 Speaker 3: cell what we call resolution cell, where basically fingertip formation. 155 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:04,760 Speaker 3: My women is on my left wing about three feet off, 156 00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:07,439 Speaker 3: and we're going to be cruising in and then when 157 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:09,200 Speaker 3: we get to a range where I know that they 158 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:13,320 Speaker 3: would be firing their first salvo, we're going to split apart. 159 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:17,640 Speaker 3: My women's going to do a ninety three turn drop 160 00:09:17,760 --> 00:09:20,559 Speaker 3: down to a lower altitude block. We divide the airspace 161 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:23,240 Speaker 3: into altitude blocks for safety of flight, because when they 162 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:27,600 Speaker 3: separate and you don't know where people are, especially at night, 163 00:09:27,679 --> 00:09:30,760 Speaker 3: you can't see them. Ye want to see them that 164 00:09:30,880 --> 00:09:36,280 Speaker 3: you exactly, so you have your safe haven at a 165 00:09:36,320 --> 00:09:39,440 Speaker 3: specific altitude block. And our block was a ten to 166 00:09:39,520 --> 00:09:43,280 Speaker 3: four zeros to four block, which means ten thousand to fourteen, 167 00:09:43,679 --> 00:09:46,200 Speaker 3: twenty to twenty four thousand, thirty to thirty four thousand, 168 00:09:46,559 --> 00:09:49,000 Speaker 3: and the other two aircraft had the fives to nine, 169 00:09:49,040 --> 00:09:51,440 Speaker 3: so it'd be five to nine, fifteen to nineteen, twenty 170 00:09:51,480 --> 00:09:55,000 Speaker 3: five to twenty nine, so so forth, so my women 171 00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:58,160 Speaker 3: they drop down to the ten to fourteen block and 172 00:09:58,200 --> 00:10:00,960 Speaker 3: I'm still at twenty four thousand. We're in a right 173 00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:04,320 Speaker 3: hand turn, and we're about one hundred degrees through the turn. 174 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:08,640 Speaker 3: With believe it or not, the lessons from my father. 175 00:10:08,720 --> 00:10:11,680 Speaker 3: So my father always taught me. He says, always trust 176 00:10:11,679 --> 00:10:14,320 Speaker 3: your instruments, because that's I had to when I was little. 177 00:10:14,320 --> 00:10:16,960 Speaker 3: I couldn't see out. But he goes, always listen to 178 00:10:17,000 --> 00:10:19,800 Speaker 3: the airplane, because if you're in tune with the airplane 179 00:10:19,800 --> 00:10:22,040 Speaker 3: and you're listening to it, airplanes will talk to you, 180 00:10:22,520 --> 00:10:25,760 Speaker 3: and if you are listening, they'll tell you what they're doing. 181 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:28,719 Speaker 3: And what I was seeing in my instruments. Now it's 182 00:10:28,720 --> 00:10:31,120 Speaker 3: a pitch black night. There's no moon, no stars, no 183 00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:34,959 Speaker 3: discernible horizon. Everything in my world is in that hood's 184 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:38,079 Speaker 3: up display, and what I'm seeing is twenty four thousand 185 00:10:38,160 --> 00:10:40,960 Speaker 3: feet forward or notts in a sixty year right hand turn. 186 00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:45,320 Speaker 3: But what I'm hearing is this airplane is getting fast. 187 00:10:45,480 --> 00:10:47,800 Speaker 3: I'm hearing the wind rushing over the top of the campy. 188 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:51,560 Speaker 3: Something didn't seem right, and so I brought up a 189 00:10:51,559 --> 00:10:56,120 Speaker 3: different display down on a color screen between my legs 190 00:10:56,440 --> 00:11:00,040 Speaker 3: that gives me similar information in a different format. That 191 00:11:00,160 --> 00:11:03,280 Speaker 3: display was showing us pointed straight at the water, and 192 00:11:03,400 --> 00:11:06,280 Speaker 3: instead of twenty four thousand feet and four hundred knots, 193 00:11:06,320 --> 00:11:08,960 Speaker 3: we were now at seventeen thousand feet and six hundred knots. 194 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:11,960 Speaker 3: So I'd already lost seven thousand feet and didn't even 195 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:14,360 Speaker 3: realize it until I could start hearing that wind rushing 196 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:17,599 Speaker 3: over the canopy. I didn't pick up on it. The 197 00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:20,040 Speaker 3: airplane always trims for one g, so you don't have 198 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:23,199 Speaker 3: a fill sensation in the stick. It's not like, oh, 199 00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:26,120 Speaker 3: I can feel the wind load as it increases. The 200 00:11:26,160 --> 00:11:30,040 Speaker 3: airplane automatically adjusts for that. So my only indication was 201 00:11:30,040 --> 00:11:34,440 Speaker 3: that sound, that wind rush over the canopy. When I 202 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:38,680 Speaker 3: brought that up, I looked at I was very startled 203 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:43,160 Speaker 3: because I'm now not where I thought I was, and 204 00:11:43,559 --> 00:11:45,839 Speaker 3: now I've got to try to figure this out. Well, 205 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:49,800 Speaker 3: there's a thing we learned. It's called recognized, confirm, and recover. Well, 206 00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:53,160 Speaker 3: I recognize we've got a problem via sound and via sight. 207 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:57,000 Speaker 3: I've got to try to confirm this. Unfortunately, I only 208 00:11:57,040 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 3: have my head's at display, and I have my attitude 209 00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:04,239 Speaker 3: indicator on this color display here, and then there's a standby. Unfortunately, 210 00:12:04,280 --> 00:12:07,160 Speaker 3: that standby is not accurate, and you'll turn out of 211 00:12:07,160 --> 00:12:10,200 Speaker 3: traffic this way and it'll precess that way. What is 212 00:12:10,280 --> 00:12:13,720 Speaker 3: primary designed for is if you lost electrics. It's a 213 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:18,920 Speaker 3: gyro stabilized machine attitude indicator that I could cage and 214 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:21,440 Speaker 3: it would give me about eight minutes of stabilized attitude 215 00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:23,800 Speaker 3: information to be able to get down through a weather deck. 216 00:12:24,559 --> 00:12:26,240 Speaker 3: But it's not going to be used for some kind 217 00:12:26,240 --> 00:12:30,160 Speaker 3: of out of control type recovery instrument. The second part 218 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:33,760 Speaker 3: of the problem was that color display. We would turn 219 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:37,079 Speaker 3: the brightness in contrast of that display down quite low 220 00:12:37,520 --> 00:12:39,719 Speaker 3: so that it wouldn't cast a big colorful glow on 221 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:44,480 Speaker 3: the inside of that bubble canopy and create disorientation. And 222 00:12:44,559 --> 00:12:47,959 Speaker 3: so I had to sit there and try to figure 223 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:50,880 Speaker 3: out what that actual display was telling me. And then 224 00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:53,320 Speaker 3: I could see the disparity between the two. I could 225 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:55,840 Speaker 3: see the airspeed spinning up. I could see the altitude 226 00:12:55,840 --> 00:12:58,400 Speaker 3: spinning down. But I've got to try to figure out 227 00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:00,680 Speaker 3: in my upside down, my right side up, how many 228 00:13:00,679 --> 00:13:03,200 Speaker 3: degrees knows low am I? And so now I have 229 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:04,920 Speaker 3: to stop, and I have to turn the brightness and 230 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:07,960 Speaker 3: contrast of this display up and it wasn't like a 231 00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:10,839 Speaker 3: riostat where I could just go like that. It was 232 00:13:10,960 --> 00:13:14,400 Speaker 3: rocker switches. So I'm sitting here pushing buttons like this 233 00:13:14,520 --> 00:13:17,280 Speaker 3: to try to get the brightness. And the display turned 234 00:13:17,360 --> 00:13:20,480 Speaker 3: up and we are traveling fifteen hundred feet per second 235 00:13:20,480 --> 00:13:24,480 Speaker 3: straight at the water. So we started the maneuver at 236 00:13:24,480 --> 00:13:27,760 Speaker 3: a second. Yes, we started the maneuver at twenty four 237 00:13:27,800 --> 00:13:30,360 Speaker 3: thousand feet. I realized we had a problem at seventeen 238 00:13:30,440 --> 00:13:33,400 Speaker 3: thousand feet. From seventeen thousand feet to ten thousand feet, 239 00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:37,360 Speaker 3: I'm working this problem, so that's seven thousand feet, so 240 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:42,160 Speaker 3: I basically had five seconds roughly to figure this out 241 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:45,480 Speaker 3: make a decision either try to recover the airplane or 242 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:49,160 Speaker 3: command the ejection. When we got through ten thousand feet, 243 00:13:49,240 --> 00:13:53,920 Speaker 3: we're now supersonic. I'm eighty degrees nos low inverted, and 244 00:13:54,480 --> 00:13:57,160 Speaker 3: I realized that there is no way. One I'm not 245 00:13:57,160 --> 00:13:59,520 Speaker 3: going to bet my life that this is even telling 246 00:13:59,559 --> 00:14:02,640 Speaker 3: me the true and two I don't think I can 247 00:14:02,679 --> 00:14:04,760 Speaker 3: pull out of this dive without ripping the wings off 248 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:08,560 Speaker 3: or blackness out or both. And at that point I 249 00:14:08,600 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 3: just commanded the ejection and got in a body position 250 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:14,640 Speaker 3: and pulled the handles in that length of time, four 251 00:14:14,679 --> 00:14:18,600 Speaker 3: thousand feet. Additionally, additional four thousand feet went by. We're 252 00:14:18,640 --> 00:14:21,520 Speaker 3: now at six thousand feet. I'm pulling the ejection handles. 253 00:14:21,520 --> 00:14:26,000 Speaker 3: A canopy goes off at forty five hundred feet. Dennis DW. 254 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:29,680 Speaker 3: Dennis White was my back seater. He went out at 255 00:14:29,680 --> 00:14:32,720 Speaker 3: three thousand feet. I left the cockpit at fifteen hundred 256 00:14:32,720 --> 00:14:35,280 Speaker 3: feet and I got my shoot roughly about five hundred 257 00:14:35,320 --> 00:14:39,120 Speaker 3: feet above the water. Had had I waited even a 258 00:14:39,160 --> 00:14:41,800 Speaker 3: third of a second longer to pull the handles, I 259 00:14:41,800 --> 00:14:43,760 Speaker 3: would have impacted the water still in my seat and 260 00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:49,360 Speaker 3: been killed. So when you talk about seeing ahead, predicting things, 261 00:14:49,480 --> 00:14:53,080 Speaker 3: making those decisions, the decision to get out is made 262 00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:55,120 Speaker 3: before you ever get in the airplane. 263 00:15:03,480 --> 00:15:07,720 Speaker 2: So when your Powa chute deploys, are you strapped into 264 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:08,920 Speaker 2: the chair when you land. 265 00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:13,280 Speaker 3: No, I had about twenty five twenty to twenty five 266 00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:16,880 Speaker 3: seconds under the canopy before I hit the water. So 267 00:15:16,920 --> 00:15:19,640 Speaker 3: the way it works is you separate, you leave the 268 00:15:19,680 --> 00:15:24,280 Speaker 3: aircraft in your seat, and the seat is incredibly smart. 269 00:15:24,320 --> 00:15:27,920 Speaker 3: It has an altimeter in it and it has pedo 270 00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:30,360 Speaker 3: tubes on either side, so it knows how the seat 271 00:15:30,400 --> 00:15:33,320 Speaker 3: knows how fast it's going, and it knows what's attitude 272 00:15:33,360 --> 00:15:35,960 Speaker 3: it's in, and it knows what altitude it's at. So 273 00:15:36,160 --> 00:15:38,440 Speaker 3: from that it makes a decision, do I need to 274 00:15:38,520 --> 00:15:40,640 Speaker 3: keep him with the seat until we get down to 275 00:15:40,960 --> 00:15:42,960 Speaker 3: a lower altitude, or do I got to get him 276 00:15:42,960 --> 00:15:46,000 Speaker 3: out of this seat and get him a main choot immediately. 277 00:15:46,360 --> 00:15:49,440 Speaker 3: And in this case, because we were going so fast, 278 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:52,720 Speaker 3: it actually threw out a miniature drag chute to try 279 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:55,080 Speaker 3: to slow us down. But then it has to be 280 00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:57,840 Speaker 3: able to cut that dragshot away and then get the 281 00:15:57,880 --> 00:16:01,280 Speaker 3: main canopy open and separate you from the seat. All 282 00:16:01,280 --> 00:16:04,760 Speaker 3: of that happens in milliseconds. So it was able to 283 00:16:04,800 --> 00:16:07,600 Speaker 3: get me slowed down enough to where the main choot 284 00:16:07,800 --> 00:16:12,800 Speaker 3: wasn't destroyed upon deployment because of the excessive speed that 285 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:16,200 Speaker 3: we were traveling. So it kicks me out of the seat. 286 00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:19,320 Speaker 3: I'm hanging under the canopy. I could fill the cold 287 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:21,560 Speaker 3: night air on my face. I could hear the parachute 288 00:16:21,640 --> 00:16:24,280 Speaker 3: ruffling above me. I knew where I was. I also 289 00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:26,840 Speaker 3: knew I was going into the ocean. And then immediately 290 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:30,200 Speaker 3: your training kicks in. You do what it's called a 291 00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:33,400 Speaker 3: post ejection checklist. It's canopy visor mass seat kit. I'll 292 00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:36,560 Speaker 3: be used here prepare release. I mean it's that ingrained 293 00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:39,120 Speaker 3: and so I look up at my canopy. I couldn't 294 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:41,840 Speaker 3: see it was pitch black. Visor masks were supposed to 295 00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:43,280 Speaker 3: take our visor put it up on top of our 296 00:16:43,320 --> 00:16:45,720 Speaker 3: helmet discarder mask. I didn't have to worry about that step. 297 00:16:45,760 --> 00:16:49,320 Speaker 3: The whole helmet was gone. Seat kit when we deploy, 298 00:16:49,800 --> 00:16:52,200 Speaker 3: when we separate from the seat, we're actually sitting on 299 00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:54,680 Speaker 3: a seat kit which contains a one man life wrapped 300 00:16:54,720 --> 00:16:58,080 Speaker 3: and two survival kits. But one's called a rucksack kit. 301 00:16:58,160 --> 00:17:00,680 Speaker 3: The other's called a grab and dough kit. The rucksack 302 00:17:00,800 --> 00:17:04,200 Speaker 3: kit falls away on a fifteen foot lanyard that pulls 303 00:17:04,280 --> 00:17:07,320 Speaker 3: the one man life raft out. It falls away on 304 00:17:07,359 --> 00:17:09,639 Speaker 3: a fifteen foot landard that's hooked to my right hip, 305 00:17:10,080 --> 00:17:12,840 Speaker 3: and the weight of that rucksack kit pulls a pin 306 00:17:12,880 --> 00:17:15,640 Speaker 3: on a CO two cartridge that partially inflates that wrapped 307 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:18,639 Speaker 3: So hanging below me, fifteen feet below me is a 308 00:17:18,640 --> 00:17:20,840 Speaker 3: one man life raft. Fifteen feet below that, it's that 309 00:17:20,920 --> 00:17:24,040 Speaker 3: rucksack kit, and zipped into the inside flap right up 310 00:17:24,119 --> 00:17:26,600 Speaker 3: underneath my butt is that grab and go kit, which 311 00:17:26,640 --> 00:17:29,600 Speaker 3: is about the size of a fireplace log. The rucksack 312 00:17:29,720 --> 00:17:32,919 Speaker 3: kit contains everything you need for long term survival. The 313 00:17:33,440 --> 00:17:37,080 Speaker 3: grab and go kit contains duplicate items, but it's mostly 314 00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:41,160 Speaker 3: for rescue. It's got your flares and water and radio 315 00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:45,280 Speaker 3: and signal mirror whistle things like that. Yeah, So, as 316 00:17:45,320 --> 00:17:47,399 Speaker 3: I'm coming down on the chute, I get to my 317 00:17:47,520 --> 00:17:50,679 Speaker 3: line preserver and I look down and my life preserver 318 00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:54,320 Speaker 3: looked like shredded rags hanging around my neck. And then 319 00:17:54,359 --> 00:17:56,360 Speaker 3: I got a bit concern because I know I'm going 320 00:17:56,359 --> 00:17:58,200 Speaker 3: into the ocean and if I don't get to something 321 00:17:58,200 --> 00:18:01,080 Speaker 3: that floats, I'm going to be a dead man. And 322 00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:04,000 Speaker 3: I'm hoping that my life preserver hanging fifteen feet below 323 00:18:04,040 --> 00:18:07,760 Speaker 3: me that I can't see, doesn't look like this. So 324 00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:12,080 Speaker 3: somewhere I had the presence of mind, and I think 325 00:18:12,119 --> 00:18:14,639 Speaker 3: this is where the exceptional training comes in, because I 326 00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:16,600 Speaker 3: was able to think clearly, I was able to keep 327 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:20,000 Speaker 3: my wits about me, and I just had the presence 328 00:18:20,040 --> 00:18:22,160 Speaker 3: of mind to reach down and I grabbed that lanyard 329 00:18:22,600 --> 00:18:24,679 Speaker 3: and with my teeth and my one arm, I reeled 330 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:26,359 Speaker 3: that life wrapped up to me and just at the 331 00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:28,000 Speaker 3: point I grabbed a hold of the raft, I could 332 00:18:28,040 --> 00:18:29,960 Speaker 3: tell it was inflated. I went from hanging under the 333 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:33,040 Speaker 3: canopy to about ten feet under the water. Having hold 334 00:18:33,040 --> 00:18:35,280 Speaker 3: of that inflated wrap pulled me back up to the surface. 335 00:18:35,320 --> 00:18:38,680 Speaker 3: Otherwise I would have drowned. I'm in mid fifties water 336 00:18:38,720 --> 00:18:42,040 Speaker 3: temperature the sea states about three to five feet. The 337 00:18:42,080 --> 00:18:45,320 Speaker 3: wind's blowing about ten knots, and I'm starting to be drug. 338 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:47,560 Speaker 3: My shoe catches wind and I'm starting to be drug 339 00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:52,400 Speaker 3: through the water. There's a very smart man. A lot 340 00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:54,600 Speaker 3: of the stuff that we have in our survival kits 341 00:18:54,240 --> 00:18:57,560 Speaker 3: are as a result of somebody in the past dying 342 00:18:58,560 --> 00:19:01,159 Speaker 3: from not having this. So what we have is the 343 00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:03,960 Speaker 3: pyrotechnic device on our risers, and when they sense the 344 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:07,000 Speaker 3: salt water, if there's a charge and it blows your 345 00:19:07,040 --> 00:19:09,400 Speaker 3: rises away, it sounds like two shotgun shells going off 346 00:19:09,440 --> 00:19:11,880 Speaker 3: on either side of your head. So I came to rest, 347 00:19:11,920 --> 00:19:15,840 Speaker 3: still holding onto the raft, and that's when I went 348 00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:18,159 Speaker 3: to try to kick my legs to get into the raft. 349 00:19:18,600 --> 00:19:20,239 Speaker 3: And when I did, the top half of my leg 350 00:19:20,320 --> 00:19:22,159 Speaker 3: would go one way and the bottom half would go 351 00:19:22,200 --> 00:19:24,800 Speaker 3: the other. And when I kicked my left foot. My 352 00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:27,880 Speaker 3: foot would flip around backwards and then it flip around forwards, 353 00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:31,639 Speaker 3: and they were both useless. And then this arm is 354 00:19:31,680 --> 00:19:34,760 Speaker 3: bent back like this, so I've got one functioning arm 355 00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:38,159 Speaker 3: with a separated shoulder. I'm in five foot seas. I 356 00:19:38,200 --> 00:19:40,120 Speaker 3: know if I don't get into this raft that I'm 357 00:19:40,160 --> 00:19:42,920 Speaker 3: going to die of hypothermia. I'll go unconscious and that'll 358 00:19:42,920 --> 00:19:46,120 Speaker 3: be that. And so I'm trying to get in. I'm 359 00:19:46,119 --> 00:19:48,080 Speaker 3: trying to get in. I can't get in. I'm trying 360 00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:50,720 Speaker 3: to push this raft underneath me, and the wave would 361 00:19:50,720 --> 00:19:52,680 Speaker 3: come up and the raft would want to flip over 362 00:19:52,760 --> 00:19:54,280 Speaker 3: on top of me, so I'd have to let it 363 00:19:54,359 --> 00:19:57,080 Speaker 3: go like this and then I'd get it back up 364 00:19:57,160 --> 00:20:02,800 Speaker 3: underneath me. And I tried probably ten times, and I 365 00:20:02,840 --> 00:20:04,960 Speaker 3: just couldn't get in, couldn't get in, And now I'm 366 00:20:05,160 --> 00:20:07,200 Speaker 3: literally to the point of exhaustion, and I thought, this 367 00:20:07,240 --> 00:20:08,760 Speaker 3: is it. I'm going to die tonight. 368 00:20:08,920 --> 00:20:10,800 Speaker 2: Is that what you thought, Brian? Did you actually think 369 00:20:10,840 --> 00:20:14,400 Speaker 2: to yourself, right, I'm not going to make this, this 370 00:20:14,440 --> 00:20:14,679 Speaker 2: is me. 371 00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:19,760 Speaker 3: I'm gone, Yeah, And that's when I stopped everything. I'm 372 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:22,600 Speaker 3: we wonder where I get my strength from my father? 373 00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:25,760 Speaker 3: My father got it from his mother. My grandmother was 374 00:20:25,760 --> 00:20:28,880 Speaker 3: an incredibly strong woman, and she always taught me that 375 00:20:29,320 --> 00:20:31,280 Speaker 3: we don't get to choose the day we're going to have. 376 00:20:31,840 --> 00:20:33,840 Speaker 3: We get to choose how we're going to deal with it, 377 00:20:34,440 --> 00:20:38,400 Speaker 3: and we should be prepared for whatever the day brings physically, mentally, emotionally, 378 00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:41,840 Speaker 3: and spiritually. And she says, if you're in and a 379 00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:45,240 Speaker 3: situation that you have no control over and you need help, 380 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:47,800 Speaker 3: you pray for what you need, not for what you want. 381 00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:50,040 Speaker 3: And so I put my head down on the raft 382 00:20:50,080 --> 00:20:52,640 Speaker 3: and I say, God, I can't die tonight. I've got 383 00:20:52,680 --> 00:20:55,440 Speaker 3: too much to do. I've got My wife was four 384 00:20:55,480 --> 00:20:58,640 Speaker 3: months pregnant with our first child, and I thought to myself, 385 00:20:58,640 --> 00:21:01,119 Speaker 3: how selfish of it would be for me to not 386 00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:03,280 Speaker 3: be there and for her to get that knock on 387 00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:05,040 Speaker 3: the door. I did not want her to get that 388 00:21:05,119 --> 00:21:05,879 Speaker 3: knock on the door. 389 00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:08,800 Speaker 2: Your wife was four months pregnant at this time? 390 00:21:09,119 --> 00:21:09,600 Speaker 3: Exactly? 391 00:21:09,720 --> 00:21:12,520 Speaker 2: Did that thought process went through your head? Just as 392 00:21:12,600 --> 00:21:14,320 Speaker 2: I suppose you're going to give up, It's like, I 393 00:21:14,359 --> 00:21:17,359 Speaker 2: can't give up. I've got to stay alive. My wife 394 00:21:17,560 --> 00:21:20,080 Speaker 2: is pregnant, I've got a child on the way. And 395 00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:24,040 Speaker 2: was it that for that ultimately switched things up. 396 00:21:24,960 --> 00:21:28,120 Speaker 3: It'll give you superhuman strength, Yeah, absolutely, because I took 397 00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:30,479 Speaker 3: that raft. I took that raft and I shoved it 398 00:21:30,520 --> 00:21:33,399 Speaker 3: down into the base between my legs like this. I 399 00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:36,520 Speaker 3: threw my shoulder into it like that, and I rode 400 00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:38,960 Speaker 3: the wave up. And when I crested the top of 401 00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:42,399 Speaker 3: the wave and went down the backside, my body flipped 402 00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:44,560 Speaker 3: right into the raft and I was sitting there perfectly, 403 00:21:45,359 --> 00:21:48,600 Speaker 3: and my leg from the knee down was hanging ninety 404 00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:51,680 Speaker 3: to the right over the side. My foot was turned 405 00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:54,760 Speaker 3: around backwards and folded up underneath me, and this arm 406 00:21:54,840 --> 00:21:59,040 Speaker 3: was a bit back like that. And I'm looking at this. 407 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:02,600 Speaker 3: I'm thinking to myself, you can't live out here looking 408 00:22:02,640 --> 00:22:04,200 Speaker 3: like this. You're going to be out here a long time. 409 00:22:04,240 --> 00:22:06,439 Speaker 3: You can't sit here and be looking at yourself like this. 410 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:09,360 Speaker 3: So you got to straighten yourself out. This is one 411 00:22:09,359 --> 00:22:11,199 Speaker 3: of those times where it's better to look good than 412 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:17,920 Speaker 3: to feel good. And so I I grabbed my leg 413 00:22:17,960 --> 00:22:19,879 Speaker 3: and I heaved it in and it went from ninety 414 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:22,200 Speaker 3: right to ninety left. It's now resting across the top 415 00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:24,240 Speaker 3: of my other leg, and I'm thinking, oh, that doesn't 416 00:22:24,280 --> 00:22:27,680 Speaker 3: look right either, So I shoved it down into the 417 00:22:27,720 --> 00:22:29,479 Speaker 3: base of the raft. I pulled my foot out from 418 00:22:29,560 --> 00:22:31,800 Speaker 3: underneath me and got it pointed or in the right direction. 419 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:34,960 Speaker 3: Brought my arm around and immobilized it into my harness. 420 00:22:35,520 --> 00:22:39,080 Speaker 3: And now I know I didn't structurally fix anything, but 421 00:22:39,160 --> 00:22:41,080 Speaker 3: I'm if I'm going to be out here, I want 422 00:22:41,080 --> 00:22:42,520 Speaker 3: everything pointed in the right direction. 423 00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:43,360 Speaker 2: Yeah. 424 00:22:43,480 --> 00:22:47,359 Speaker 3: So now I'm starting to go into shock. I'm shaking uncontrollably. 425 00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:51,200 Speaker 3: I know that if I don't stop and treat myself 426 00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:54,040 Speaker 3: for the shock, that I'm going to go unconscious. And 427 00:22:54,760 --> 00:22:57,359 Speaker 3: at that point, I reached down to my g suit pocket. 428 00:22:57,400 --> 00:23:00,320 Speaker 3: We have these pockets on the legs, and I opened 429 00:23:00,320 --> 00:23:02,680 Speaker 3: the zipper where I always kept a water bottle. I 430 00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:05,119 Speaker 3: stuck my hand down into that pocket to retrieve that 431 00:23:05,160 --> 00:23:07,239 Speaker 3: water bottle, and the water bottle had been blown right 432 00:23:07,240 --> 00:23:09,479 Speaker 3: through the bottom of the pocket and was gone. Well, 433 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:11,359 Speaker 3: I was kept my wallet in the other pocket. I 434 00:23:11,359 --> 00:23:13,000 Speaker 3: wanted to see if it was there. Opened the zipper 435 00:23:13,040 --> 00:23:14,840 Speaker 3: and stuck my hand down in there, and my wallet 436 00:23:15,000 --> 00:23:17,679 Speaker 3: was also blown through the bottom of the pocket and 437 00:23:17,760 --> 00:23:19,840 Speaker 3: it was gone. And then I started thinking, crap. I 438 00:23:19,880 --> 00:23:22,239 Speaker 3: got to cancel credit cards. I got to go get 439 00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:23,400 Speaker 3: a new driver's license. 440 00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:26,880 Speaker 2: I lastly, you tell me that that didn't go through 441 00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:27,480 Speaker 2: your head. 442 00:23:27,480 --> 00:23:30,160 Speaker 3: That is exactly what went through my head. I'm thinking, 443 00:23:30,520 --> 00:23:33,080 Speaker 3: somebody is good, that's wallet's gonna wash up, and somebody 444 00:23:33,160 --> 00:23:34,880 Speaker 3: is gonna get twenty bucks. And that was a lot 445 00:23:34,880 --> 00:23:36,520 Speaker 3: of money back in the day. 446 00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:38,440 Speaker 2: But Brian, do you think do you think that way 447 00:23:38,480 --> 00:23:43,440 Speaker 2: of thinking just just strats the mind from the bigger issues? 448 00:23:43,560 --> 00:23:45,439 Speaker 2: You know, it keeps you alive on to me, doesn't it, 449 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:47,960 Speaker 2: because you know you're just trying to keep the mind 450 00:23:48,119 --> 00:23:51,159 Speaker 2: active if you're trying not to, like you said, go 451 00:23:51,280 --> 00:23:54,199 Speaker 2: into shock. So I suppose all these little things that 452 00:23:54,240 --> 00:23:59,719 Speaker 2: you're thinking about a positive distraction from not actually looking 453 00:23:59,760 --> 00:24:03,200 Speaker 2: at the big up problem, which is you can't move. 454 00:24:03,280 --> 00:24:06,240 Speaker 2: You're now floating in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean 455 00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:12,199 Speaker 2: with one arm. Ultimately, and col you're probably not going 456 00:24:12,280 --> 00:24:13,080 Speaker 2: to make it out there. 457 00:24:14,040 --> 00:24:21,639 Speaker 3: I have had the privilege of meeting and speaking to 458 00:24:22,840 --> 00:24:31,640 Speaker 3: numerous Vietnam POWs and people that have gone through just 459 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:36,480 Speaker 3: incredibly insane things, and there's one common denominator that I 460 00:24:36,560 --> 00:24:40,800 Speaker 3: have found in all of those people. The events are different, 461 00:24:41,480 --> 00:24:43,959 Speaker 3: there's a lot of similarity between the events, but the 462 00:24:43,960 --> 00:24:47,440 Speaker 3: one common denominator I have found is a sense. 463 00:24:47,200 --> 00:24:50,120 Speaker 2: Of humor the face of adversity. 464 00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:55,040 Speaker 3: That's exactly right. To find humor in the darkest places. 465 00:24:55,240 --> 00:24:57,800 Speaker 3: If you can laugh at yourself and the situation that 466 00:24:57,840 --> 00:25:00,280 Speaker 3: you're in, that's half the battle right there. 467 00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:02,880 Speaker 2: I was hoping you're going to say that, because that's 468 00:25:02,920 --> 00:25:06,520 Speaker 2: one of the War Marine core values is humor in 469 00:25:06,560 --> 00:25:10,760 Speaker 2: the face of adversity. And it's so true. It works. 470 00:25:11,280 --> 00:25:13,960 Speaker 3: Live it, love it, laughing man, Just just freaking deal 471 00:25:14,040 --> 00:25:16,399 Speaker 3: with what you got in front of you and trudge 472 00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:22,120 Speaker 3: on through. And things can always get worse. I mean, 473 00:25:22,760 --> 00:25:25,200 Speaker 3: you know, I picture where you're at, where I'm at 474 00:25:25,359 --> 00:25:28,160 Speaker 3: in the situation that I'm at, But you know what, 475 00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:33,000 Speaker 3: I'm still alive. I'm still bringing in and out. And 476 00:25:33,080 --> 00:25:35,879 Speaker 3: the other thing that I tell people, I said, is 477 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:40,160 Speaker 3: we all set these goals, right, Well, every goal has 478 00:25:40,160 --> 00:25:44,159 Speaker 3: a set of sub goals. You'd go trying to attack 479 00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:48,639 Speaker 3: this goal. It's overwhelming, but you attack each sub goal, 480 00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:52,480 Speaker 3: and each sub goal that's successful gives you confidence to 481 00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:55,639 Speaker 3: keep going. And that's what that night was all about. 482 00:25:55,720 --> 00:26:00,680 Speaker 3: It was a little victories exactly. That leads to the 483 00:26:00,800 --> 00:26:03,359 Speaker 3: ultimate of surviving the situation. 484 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:06,280 Speaker 2: So talk to me about these Neil victories. So obviously 485 00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:09,000 Speaker 2: you sort your legs out the visual thing of right, 486 00:26:09,080 --> 00:26:11,560 Speaker 2: I need to look droper because psychologically is going to 487 00:26:11,640 --> 00:26:14,240 Speaker 2: help me. How did you get through those moments because 488 00:26:14,280 --> 00:26:16,920 Speaker 2: you're were You're in the water for like five hours. 489 00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:21,720 Speaker 3: I used to teach survival, and one of the things 490 00:26:21,720 --> 00:26:24,040 Speaker 3: that I always taught was to survive what I called 491 00:26:24,080 --> 00:26:27,440 Speaker 3: the survival rule of threes. The survival rule of three say, 492 00:26:27,480 --> 00:26:29,680 Speaker 3: you can only survive about three seconds if you don't 493 00:26:29,720 --> 00:26:32,840 Speaker 3: have the will to survive. And my will was to 494 00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:35,239 Speaker 3: get home to see my wife. That's going to keep 495 00:26:35,280 --> 00:26:38,680 Speaker 3: you moving, that's going to keep you motivated. You can 496 00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:43,119 Speaker 3: survive about three minutes without air, either from drowning or suffocation. 497 00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:47,639 Speaker 3: You can survive about three hours in extreme conditions extreme 498 00:26:47,720 --> 00:26:50,520 Speaker 3: cold or extreme heat. I have a thermaa heat stroke, whatever. 499 00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:54,760 Speaker 3: You can survive about three days without water, three weeks 500 00:26:54,800 --> 00:26:58,040 Speaker 3: without food, and three months without human companionship. Before you're 501 00:26:58,080 --> 00:27:01,080 Speaker 3: putting smiley faces on volleyballs and them Wilson, you know. 502 00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:05,439 Speaker 3: So that's that's your roadmap for success is how what 503 00:27:05,440 --> 00:27:07,120 Speaker 3: do I need to do and when do I need 504 00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:08,800 Speaker 3: to do it? First of all, I want to. I 505 00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:11,119 Speaker 3: want to get home to see my wife. Second of all, 506 00:27:11,160 --> 00:27:12,920 Speaker 3: I got to get out of that water and into 507 00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:15,600 Speaker 3: this raft that's going to keep me from drowning. And 508 00:27:15,640 --> 00:27:19,399 Speaker 3: the next point is build my home so that I 509 00:27:19,480 --> 00:27:22,400 Speaker 3: don't die of hypothermia because the waves are still crashing 510 00:27:22,440 --> 00:27:26,000 Speaker 3: in and I've got to get my home built. And 511 00:27:26,040 --> 00:27:30,399 Speaker 3: that's manual inflation. And there's three components to that raft, 512 00:27:30,440 --> 00:27:33,080 Speaker 3: and only the main donut ring partially inflates. You have 513 00:27:33,119 --> 00:27:36,040 Speaker 3: to complete that inflation, and then you have to inflate 514 00:27:36,080 --> 00:27:38,119 Speaker 3: the floor, and then a spray shield pup tent that 515 00:27:38,119 --> 00:27:40,919 Speaker 3: pops up over the top of you. My face was 516 00:27:40,960 --> 00:27:43,679 Speaker 3: so distorted I couldn't create a seal around the tube 517 00:27:43,720 --> 00:27:46,359 Speaker 3: to blow that up. I had to grab the valve 518 00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:48,840 Speaker 3: with my teeth, clamp my hands down around my lips 519 00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:51,800 Speaker 3: to create the seal. My lips stuck out past my 520 00:27:51,880 --> 00:27:55,200 Speaker 3: third finger. That's how distorted my face was. So there 521 00:27:55,240 --> 00:27:57,600 Speaker 3: was a point where I'm sitting there laughing at myself 522 00:27:57,640 --> 00:27:59,880 Speaker 3: and how funny I must look with my lips stuck 523 00:28:00,080 --> 00:28:04,760 Speaker 3: out like a duck. And I blow and I blow, 524 00:28:04,880 --> 00:28:07,080 Speaker 3: and it was like blowing up party balloons for your 525 00:28:07,160 --> 00:28:10,360 Speaker 3: kid's birthdays. You start getting lightheaded, and I like God, 526 00:28:10,359 --> 00:28:11,880 Speaker 3: I got to take a break. I pulled the tube 527 00:28:11,920 --> 00:28:14,040 Speaker 3: out of my mouth. The first time I did, the 528 00:28:14,119 --> 00:28:16,639 Speaker 3: valve didn't self seal, and about half the air that 529 00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:19,320 Speaker 3: I just blew in leaked out before I could get 530 00:28:19,320 --> 00:28:22,600 Speaker 3: the valve turned off. So on subsequent attempts, I'd grab 531 00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:24,680 Speaker 3: the valve with my teeth. I'd clamp my hands down 532 00:28:24,800 --> 00:28:28,080 Speaker 3: around my lips in the tube. I'd twist to open 533 00:28:28,119 --> 00:28:30,040 Speaker 3: the valve, I blow the air in, and I twist 534 00:28:30,080 --> 00:28:31,919 Speaker 3: it back off when I needed to take a break. 535 00:28:32,800 --> 00:28:35,040 Speaker 3: It took me two hours to get my home built 536 00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:39,200 Speaker 3: and then get the water bailed out. So it's about 537 00:28:39,680 --> 00:28:43,280 Speaker 3: step by step through those processes. You just don't stop. 538 00:28:43,920 --> 00:28:49,920 Speaker 3: People that don't survive usually it's because of misprioritization or 539 00:28:49,960 --> 00:28:52,640 Speaker 3: they just give up. The one thing you have absolute 540 00:28:52,680 --> 00:28:55,720 Speaker 3: no control over is when you're going to get rescued. 541 00:28:56,320 --> 00:28:58,680 Speaker 3: What you have one hundred percent control over is are 542 00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:01,680 Speaker 3: you going to be alive when you get rescued. Meaning 543 00:29:02,160 --> 00:29:05,040 Speaker 3: let's focus on what we have control over, not what 544 00:29:05,080 --> 00:29:06,040 Speaker 3: we don't. 545 00:29:15,040 --> 00:29:18,200 Speaker 2: And so you've got your house in order after two hours. 546 00:29:18,880 --> 00:29:22,720 Speaker 2: Took me through the next couple of hours because coh 547 00:29:23,320 --> 00:29:27,400 Speaker 2: those hours went by car like days, didn't they. 548 00:29:28,280 --> 00:29:31,840 Speaker 3: It's it's all relative, I mean. And you anybody that's 549 00:29:31,880 --> 00:29:34,800 Speaker 3: been through the training, I don't care. You've been through 550 00:29:34,800 --> 00:29:37,520 Speaker 3: the training. You know it's going to suck. It's just 551 00:29:37,600 --> 00:29:40,280 Speaker 3: that's just the way it is. It sucks, right, here's 552 00:29:40,320 --> 00:29:43,240 Speaker 3: where you are deal with it is what it boils 553 00:29:43,280 --> 00:29:46,360 Speaker 3: down to. So what I did during those hours that 554 00:29:46,440 --> 00:29:48,520 Speaker 3: I was out there after I managed to get my 555 00:29:48,640 --> 00:29:52,840 Speaker 3: raft inflated, my home built, the water bailed out. Now 556 00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:55,880 Speaker 3: I've got to stay focused on a task. I can't 557 00:29:55,920 --> 00:29:58,960 Speaker 3: just sit here and start thinking about, oh, miserable me. 558 00:30:00,280 --> 00:30:03,760 Speaker 3: I have to start thinking ahead, what's the next step. 559 00:30:04,200 --> 00:30:06,520 Speaker 2: I love that, Brian. There's no time to feel sorry 560 00:30:06,600 --> 00:30:08,840 Speaker 2: for yourself in a situation like that, is there There's 561 00:30:08,880 --> 00:30:12,440 Speaker 2: no mentality, there's no oh look at me, pull me. 562 00:30:12,680 --> 00:30:15,760 Speaker 2: You know, I'll just lie here now. And because that's 563 00:30:15,760 --> 00:30:17,920 Speaker 2: when ultimately you give up. I think that's a really 564 00:30:17,960 --> 00:30:20,600 Speaker 2: really important message, is you know, you've just got to 565 00:30:20,680 --> 00:30:23,160 Speaker 2: keep going. There's no time to feel sorry for yourself. 566 00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:26,800 Speaker 3: There isn't and you just have to keep working, keep working, 567 00:30:26,880 --> 00:30:30,240 Speaker 3: keep working. And so what I did is the harness 568 00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:33,360 Speaker 3: the flashlight that was attached to my harness was blown 569 00:30:33,400 --> 00:30:36,520 Speaker 3: off during the ejection. But many things in that survival 570 00:30:36,600 --> 00:30:39,320 Speaker 3: kit weren't waterproof, and one of them was the flashlight 571 00:30:39,360 --> 00:30:42,320 Speaker 3: that was in the survival kit wasn't waterproof, so the 572 00:30:42,400 --> 00:30:45,560 Speaker 3: first wave that came by shorted it out and that 573 00:30:45,680 --> 00:30:47,880 Speaker 3: was it. I was in a black raft in the 574 00:30:48,000 --> 00:30:49,880 Speaker 3: middle of the ocean, in the middle of the night. 575 00:30:50,480 --> 00:30:54,000 Speaker 3: No moon, no stars, no flashlight, no anything in this 576 00:30:54,040 --> 00:30:56,920 Speaker 3: little cocoon. I've got to figure out what I have 577 00:30:57,000 --> 00:30:59,720 Speaker 3: available and where it is. So I pulled each piece 578 00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:03,200 Speaker 3: of it equipment out of my rucksack kit. I felt 579 00:31:03,240 --> 00:31:06,440 Speaker 3: for what it was, and I started locating it alphabetically 580 00:31:06,560 --> 00:31:08,920 Speaker 3: up and down my legs so that I knew where 581 00:31:08,960 --> 00:31:13,320 Speaker 3: things were. I filed myself with survival equipment up and 582 00:31:13,360 --> 00:31:17,240 Speaker 3: down my legs, so that way, if I needed something, 583 00:31:17,440 --> 00:31:20,120 Speaker 3: I at least knew the general direction of where to 584 00:31:20,160 --> 00:31:22,560 Speaker 3: go to find it, rather than sitting around digging in 585 00:31:23,080 --> 00:31:26,880 Speaker 3: a kit for it. And that kept me occupied for 586 00:31:26,920 --> 00:31:31,520 Speaker 3: a good another hour. And the last hour that was 587 00:31:31,640 --> 00:31:35,160 Speaker 3: tough because I had pretty much accomplished everything and now 588 00:31:35,440 --> 00:31:39,479 Speaker 3: it was trying to stay conscious. I knew I was bleeding. 589 00:31:39,520 --> 00:31:41,520 Speaker 3: The back of my leg was dashed open, my face 590 00:31:41,600 --> 00:31:45,040 Speaker 3: was all cut. You can tell everywhere you're bleeding in saltwater. 591 00:31:45,720 --> 00:31:49,440 Speaker 3: And I knew that if I went to sleep or 592 00:31:49,480 --> 00:31:51,960 Speaker 3: even took a nap, that I may not wake up. 593 00:31:52,320 --> 00:31:54,840 Speaker 3: I don't know if I have head injuries, internal injuries. 594 00:31:55,200 --> 00:31:58,560 Speaker 3: So I've got to stay focused and keep moving, keep driving, 595 00:31:58,680 --> 00:32:02,760 Speaker 3: keep going. So periodically I would pull the side of 596 00:32:02,800 --> 00:32:05,880 Speaker 3: the raft down and I would yell for Dennis. I 597 00:32:06,120 --> 00:32:09,880 Speaker 3: just yelled Dennis's name. And I'm sure you've been there. 598 00:32:09,920 --> 00:32:12,160 Speaker 3: But if for those of you've never been in a 599 00:32:12,920 --> 00:32:15,120 Speaker 3: in the middle of the ocean, all you hear is 600 00:32:15,160 --> 00:32:20,920 Speaker 3: waves crashing and windblowing. That's it. And even if the 601 00:32:20,960 --> 00:32:24,160 Speaker 3: sun angle is just right and the sea state is calm, 602 00:32:24,520 --> 00:32:27,240 Speaker 3: there's only about a seventy percent chance if they know 603 00:32:27,400 --> 00:32:29,640 Speaker 3: the area that they're going to be able to find 604 00:32:29,680 --> 00:32:34,000 Speaker 3: you at night. That drops to zero. In fact, since then, 605 00:32:34,080 --> 00:32:36,960 Speaker 3: I've been able to fly with a lot of we 606 00:32:37,040 --> 00:32:42,240 Speaker 3: call him Coasti's coast guard guys who have gone out 607 00:32:42,600 --> 00:32:45,840 Speaker 3: on all of these calls. And one guy I was 608 00:32:45,880 --> 00:32:50,120 Speaker 3: speaking with, he goes, he just he was very quiet 609 00:32:50,320 --> 00:32:52,400 Speaker 3: for the longest time and we're flying and he goes, 610 00:32:52,720 --> 00:32:54,720 Speaker 3: you know, I've just I've just been sitting there thinking, 611 00:32:54,800 --> 00:32:57,400 Speaker 3: he goes, You're not supposed to be here. He goes. 612 00:32:57,440 --> 00:32:59,640 Speaker 3: I have been called out on hundreds and hundreds of 613 00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:03,160 Speaker 3: case is for people that are out in the open water, 614 00:33:03,800 --> 00:33:08,240 Speaker 3: and of those hundreds cases, we either didn't find anyone, 615 00:33:09,200 --> 00:33:11,560 Speaker 3: or if we did find them, they were gone, they 616 00:33:11,560 --> 00:33:15,200 Speaker 3: were dead. I actually facilitated my own rescue. They didn't 617 00:33:15,240 --> 00:33:18,400 Speaker 3: find me. I found them by staying awake and staying 618 00:33:18,560 --> 00:33:23,320 Speaker 3: engaged and staying active. About the time, I've had really 619 00:33:23,360 --> 00:33:25,040 Speaker 3: run out of things to do. I mean, I was 620 00:33:25,040 --> 00:33:27,720 Speaker 3: telling myself jokes, which they're not funny when you know 621 00:33:27,760 --> 00:33:29,680 Speaker 3: the punchlines, you know. But I was working on a 622 00:33:29,720 --> 00:33:33,240 Speaker 3: delivery to you. 623 00:33:33,480 --> 00:33:34,920 Speaker 2: I'm to your quite sane. 624 00:33:35,080 --> 00:33:38,959 Speaker 3: So yes, I'm slapping myself in the face. I'm, you know, 625 00:33:39,080 --> 00:33:41,280 Speaker 3: yelling for Dennis. I'm doing everything I can think of. 626 00:33:41,400 --> 00:33:45,440 Speaker 3: Just try to stay conscious and lo and behold. I 627 00:33:45,520 --> 00:33:47,840 Speaker 3: heard a unique sound off in the distance. And once 628 00:33:47,880 --> 00:33:51,080 Speaker 3: you've heard it once, you never forget that sound. And 629 00:33:51,120 --> 00:33:54,200 Speaker 3: it was the turboprops of the sea one thirty hercules aircraft. 630 00:33:54,720 --> 00:33:59,280 Speaker 3: It's a unique sound. And I heard those turboprops way 631 00:33:59,320 --> 00:34:01,080 Speaker 3: off in the distance, and I peek out and I 632 00:34:01,080 --> 00:34:03,719 Speaker 3: could see the position lights of the aircraft flying a pattern, 633 00:34:04,200 --> 00:34:06,560 Speaker 3: and then often the distance beyond that, I could hear 634 00:34:06,640 --> 00:34:10,640 Speaker 3: the faint rotor walk of at age sixty, and I thought, 635 00:34:10,640 --> 00:34:13,000 Speaker 3: oh my gosh, they're out here, and they're serious about 636 00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:15,680 Speaker 3: getting me out of here tonight. And I thought to myself, 637 00:34:15,680 --> 00:34:18,239 Speaker 3: if I don't make contact with them, they're never going 638 00:34:18,280 --> 00:34:21,040 Speaker 3: to find me. So now, all of this whole time 639 00:34:21,080 --> 00:34:23,719 Speaker 3: that I've been in the water, it's been nothing but survival, 640 00:34:24,200 --> 00:34:26,879 Speaker 3: and now it's time to shift gears and start thinking 641 00:34:26,920 --> 00:34:30,200 Speaker 3: about rescue. But even while you're thinking about the rescue, 642 00:34:30,320 --> 00:34:34,520 Speaker 3: you're still surviving. You don't stop surviving. That's the mindset 643 00:34:34,600 --> 00:34:37,839 Speaker 3: you have to have. So I'm frantically trying to get 644 00:34:37,880 --> 00:34:40,360 Speaker 3: to my survival radio. Back then it was a PRC 645 00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:45,960 Speaker 3: ninety radio. It had two frequencies, uniform guard and then 646 00:34:45,960 --> 00:34:49,680 Speaker 3: a uniform backup guard. And so I turned the radio on, 647 00:34:50,120 --> 00:34:52,160 Speaker 3: turned the volume up, pulled the antenna up, and I 648 00:34:53,320 --> 00:34:57,720 Speaker 3: was kind of shocked that I didn't hear eelts. I thought, Okay, 649 00:34:57,960 --> 00:35:01,160 Speaker 3: why am I not hearing ELTs? And I started transmitting. 650 00:35:01,200 --> 00:35:03,440 Speaker 3: I thought i'd be hearing Dennis working the rescue. I 651 00:35:03,480 --> 00:35:07,000 Speaker 3: didn't hear that. I started transmitting my call sign swored 652 00:35:07,080 --> 00:35:10,719 Speaker 3: nine to three May Day, and no response. I must 653 00:35:10,719 --> 00:35:13,560 Speaker 3: have tried a dozen times, and I tried the backup 654 00:35:13,600 --> 00:35:15,560 Speaker 3: frequency and still nothing. And then I went back to 655 00:35:15,640 --> 00:35:18,880 Speaker 3: the primary frequency. I'm like, now I'm thinking, crap, my 656 00:35:18,960 --> 00:35:23,400 Speaker 3: radio doesn't work. But this is all I have. And 657 00:35:23,480 --> 00:35:27,280 Speaker 3: so I kept trying, kept trying, and finally the pilot 658 00:35:27,320 --> 00:35:31,879 Speaker 3: of the C one thirty answered back. That was amazing. Well, 659 00:35:32,360 --> 00:35:34,480 Speaker 3: I was just like, oh my gosh, they know I'm alive. 660 00:35:34,800 --> 00:35:37,480 Speaker 2: So how did that conversation go? You just put out 661 00:35:37,480 --> 00:35:39,400 Speaker 2: your call sign? And then someone got back to me 662 00:35:39,440 --> 00:35:41,480 Speaker 2: saying that I'll read you loud and clear. 663 00:35:41,840 --> 00:35:45,120 Speaker 3: Loud and clear, And then they went into authentication process. 664 00:35:46,080 --> 00:35:50,360 Speaker 3: They want to do authentic. I go, I can understand 665 00:35:50,400 --> 00:35:52,839 Speaker 3: if we're in a combat zone, but I'm sixty five 666 00:35:52,880 --> 00:35:55,040 Speaker 3: miles ouf the coast of North Carolina. How many people 667 00:35:55,080 --> 00:35:57,040 Speaker 3: do you think are down here? And why don't you 668 00:35:57,120 --> 00:36:00,840 Speaker 3: just rescue all of us? Yeah? Why don't you rescue 669 00:36:00,880 --> 00:36:02,799 Speaker 3: all of us? We'll work out the pleasantries when I 670 00:36:02,840 --> 00:36:07,160 Speaker 3: get on board. They're asking me the middle to my 671 00:36:08,080 --> 00:36:11,239 Speaker 3: social security to the last four they're asked me whether 672 00:36:11,320 --> 00:36:13,879 Speaker 3: the street that irew grew up on all those those 673 00:36:14,320 --> 00:36:19,440 Speaker 3: security questions, and there was a reason. At the time, 674 00:36:19,520 --> 00:36:21,640 Speaker 3: I thought, this is the nuttiest thing I've ever seen. 675 00:36:21,719 --> 00:36:24,600 Speaker 3: But the reason that they were doing that is because 676 00:36:24,960 --> 00:36:27,200 Speaker 3: my wife had gotten the dock on the door. She 677 00:36:27,320 --> 00:36:30,400 Speaker 3: is four months pregnant. Knock comes. It's a chaplain, a 678 00:36:30,480 --> 00:36:33,799 Speaker 3: doctor's quadron, commander's quatern commander's wife. They were going to 679 00:36:33,840 --> 00:36:38,120 Speaker 3: notify her that we were down and missing. And so 680 00:36:38,600 --> 00:36:41,200 Speaker 3: when they were trying to figure out who it was, 681 00:36:41,400 --> 00:36:44,280 Speaker 3: they didn't want to call my house and it be Dennis, 682 00:36:44,360 --> 00:36:48,600 Speaker 3: or call Dennis's wife and be me. So they're trying 683 00:36:48,600 --> 00:36:51,120 Speaker 3: to sort that all out. So for me though, it 684 00:36:51,280 --> 00:36:53,840 Speaker 3: was like, why are we wasting time? I'm me, I 685 00:36:53,880 --> 00:36:56,720 Speaker 3: don't care, Just luck come get me. And then obviously 686 00:36:56,760 --> 00:36:58,200 Speaker 3: they don't want you to use in your name over 687 00:36:58,239 --> 00:37:01,520 Speaker 3: the radio because all the media listening in and everything. 688 00:37:01,640 --> 00:37:05,680 Speaker 3: So I said, you've got me, and then I knew 689 00:37:05,680 --> 00:37:08,000 Speaker 3: I was going home. I'll never forget the picture of 690 00:37:08,000 --> 00:37:10,719 Speaker 3: that rescue swimmer, Jim Peterson. I still keep in touch 691 00:37:10,760 --> 00:37:13,720 Speaker 3: with him. It's been twenty nine years and we still 692 00:37:13,760 --> 00:37:16,440 Speaker 3: talk every year. The last thing I had to do 693 00:37:16,560 --> 00:37:18,640 Speaker 3: was let the air out of the spray shield and 694 00:37:18,680 --> 00:37:20,600 Speaker 3: get it down, and I knew when I did, the 695 00:37:20,640 --> 00:37:22,640 Speaker 3: waves are going to start coming in, and the wind's 696 00:37:22,640 --> 00:37:25,160 Speaker 3: going to start blowing in, and things are already getting 697 00:37:25,200 --> 00:37:29,200 Speaker 3: miserable because I've started to move around again. I get 698 00:37:29,200 --> 00:37:32,279 Speaker 3: the spray shield deflated. He comes swimming up to me 699 00:37:32,600 --> 00:37:36,040 Speaker 3: and he introduces himself. He says, I'm Coastguard rescue swimmer 700 00:37:36,080 --> 00:37:38,480 Speaker 3: Jim Peterson. I'm here to rescue. I said, well, I'm 701 00:37:38,520 --> 00:37:40,160 Speaker 3: Air Force Captain Brian new Dell, and I'm here to 702 00:37:40,160 --> 00:37:41,720 Speaker 3: be rescued. Let's get the hell out of here. 703 00:37:43,239 --> 00:37:45,279 Speaker 2: I love that, I SI, Brian, thank you ever so 704 00:37:45,400 --> 00:37:50,160 Speaker 2: much for coming on the podcast. Phenomenal story, phenomenal lessons 705 00:37:50,200 --> 00:37:52,520 Speaker 2: and huge inspiration and I listened to all the best 706 00:37:52,520 --> 00:37:53,040 Speaker 2: of the future. 707 00:37:53,040 --> 00:37:55,799 Speaker 3: Buddy, Hey, pleasure beating you, being able to speak with you. 708 00:37:56,040 --> 00:37:57,279 Speaker 3: It's an honor. Thanks so much. 709 00:37:58,040 --> 00:38:00,440 Speaker 2: Thank you so much for joining me on head Game. 710 00:38:00,880 --> 00:38:03,920 Speaker 2: If you enjoyed this episode, make sure you're subscribed so 711 00:38:04,000 --> 00:38:06,919 Speaker 2: you don't miss any of our incredible stories, and leave 712 00:38:06,960 --> 00:38:11,600 Speaker 2: me a review wherever you're listening. I'm Matt Middleton. Catch 713 00:38:11,600 --> 00:38:12,839 Speaker 2: you again next time.