The Real ResQ Podcast

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Episode 154 [Part 2] Brice Stella - Los Angeles County Sheriff Oct 13, 2023

Show notes

In this Part 2 episode of The Real ResQ, Brice Stella from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department joins the show. Stella goes over his amazing 33-year career with the LA Sheriff's Dept. With all the many paths that he took from the beginning of his career to retirement – including patrol officer, SWAT, diver, medic, to Air Rescue 5 – he has a plethora of stories to tell. He also talks about his first day in SWAT, where he had two events happen on the same day! He was called to assist on a shooting and then called out to a bank robbery in progress. As a scuba diver for the department, one of his memories was when he helped recover a Cessna airplane crash from 200 feet underwater. Then we get into his stories from the time he was at Air Rescue 5. He has a long list of stories that stand out to him while he was working there. These rescues include a car crash, a man stuck on a cliff, and a woman who needed medical attention. Thankfully for that story, his partner that day was the best person to be there for the woman in need. Stella also tells us about a kid under the influence who was going to jump off a cliff, and also a story about a bad motorcycle crash. A few more stories include being on vacation and helping someone who fell and tore a tendon, a rescue of people and puppies stuck in the middle of a river, and a woman he caught in mid-air as she was sliding down a hillside, and more. Enjoy!

https://verticalhelicasts.com/the-real-resq-podcast/

This episode is brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS

Thank you for sponsoring this episode of The Real ResQ;

Breeze-Eastern, https://www.breeze-eastern.com/

Episode 154 [Part 1] Brice Stella - Los Angeles County Sheriff Oct 11, 2023

Show notes

In this Part 1 episode of The Real ResQ, Brice Stella from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department joins the show. Stella goes over his amazing 33-year career with the LA Sheriff's Dept. With all the many paths that he took from the beginning of his career to retirement – including patrol officer, SWAT, diver, medic, to Air Rescue 5 – he has a plethora of stories to tell. He also talks about his first day in SWAT, where he had two events happen on the same day! He was called to assist on a shooting and then called out to a bank robbery in progress. As a scuba diver for the department, one of his memories was when he helped recover a Cessna airplane crash from 200 feet underwater. Then we get into his stories from the time he was at Air Rescue 5. He has a long list of stories that stand out to him while he was working there. These rescues include a car crash, a man stuck on a cliff, and a woman who needed medical attention. Thankfully for that story, his partner that day was the best person to be there for the woman in need. Stella also tells us about a kid under the influence who was going to jump off a cliff, and also a story about a bad motorcycle crash. A few more stories include being on vacation and helping someone who fell and tore a tendon, a rescue of people and puppies stuck in the middle of a river, and a woman he caught in mid-air as she was sliding down a hillside, and more. Enjoy!

https://verticalhelicasts.com/the-real-resq-podcast/

This episode is brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS

Thank you for sponsoring this episode of The Real ResQ;

Breeze-Eastern, https://www.breeze-eastern.com/

Episode 153 Brad Milliken - International Disaster Response Oct 04, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of The Real ResQ, the podcast welcomes Brad Milliken, an international disaster response coordinator. Milliken previously served in the U.S. Coast Guard and as his career progressed he enjoyed disaster response so much, he took it to the next level.

The first rescue he remembers dealing with was as the new guy in the command center. A sailboat had run aground under a bridge, and was trying to get someone's attention. The sailors' tactics worked, because when the phone call came in, the person alerting the Coast Guard said: “It’s raining balls of fire from the sky!”

In this conversation, Milliken recalls another incident he wrote an article about, involving a woman who fell off her boat. The description of the woman was unforgettable to the command center and the crews out searching for her. Milliken starts by telling a couple funny stories about asking the U.S. Navy for help, and about some of their responses. Another story, one with a great punchline, is about a C-130 being cleared to low levels to check on a boat in distress. The podcast also revisits another article Milliken wrote about tourists getting in the way of their ability to help in the aftermath of a disaster. Enjoy!

https://verticalhelicasts.com/the-real-resq-podcast/

This episode is brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS

Thank you for sponsoring this episode of The Real ResQ;

Breeze-Eastern, https://www.breeze-eastern.com/

HeliCASTS Mashup - Vertical HeliCASTS Launch Announcement Oct 02, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of The Real ResQ, we are announcing the launch of Vertical HeliCASTS, an exciting new podcast network from the team behind Vertical and Vertical Valor magazines.

The Real ResQ is pleased to join the Vertical HeliCASTS family, along with other industry-leading shows like The Hangar Z Podcast with host Jon Gray and The Helicopter Podcast with Halsey Schider.

Vertical HeliCASTS is positioned to become the go-to helicopter podcast network.

In this episode, we speak with Mike Reyno, the creator of Vertical HeliCASTS and the owner of MHM Publishing, the company that produces Vertical and Vertical Valor; along with Jon Gray from The Hangar Z Podcast and Halsey Schider from The Helicopter Podcast.

This discussion provides an introduction to Vertical HeliCASTS, with an overview of what to expect as we grow the network. Starting today, you can find new episodes of The Real ResQ at verticalhelicasts.com, as well as in your favorite podcast apps.

Check out the latest episode, and join us on this exciting new venture. Please also check out The Hangar Z Podcast and The Helicopter Podcast.

Episode 152 Gabe Sage USCG Rescue Swimmer 489 Sep 20, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of The Real ResQ, we are joined by Gabe Sage, USCG Rescue Swimmer 489. Growing up in Santa Cruz, CA, Gabe loved surfing and spending time on the beach as a lifeguard. Then came that inevitable point when it was time to get a “real job”. After seeing a cliff rescue on TV, he knew he had to become a USCG Rescue Swimmer. The first rescue we talk about earned Gabe a Certificate of Commendation from the US Marine Corps for saving three guys from the local Marine base. The guys went out on a diving trip and as they were underwater, they watched their boat sink past them. The next rescue we talk about earned him an Air Medal and the Coast Guard Foundation Award out of Astoria, OR. The sailing vessel KAMAA was being battered in “30 foot seas and 50 knot winds,” and the two people on board needed to get off the boat. He talks about another rescue that earned him the Coast Guard Foundation Award for a second year in a row. This award was earned for helping save 12 people stuck on a boat that ran aground and was going to capsize. Gabe was another Rescue Swimmer who responded to the support relief efforts from Hurricane Katrina. He recaps his most memorable rescue during that event. Gabe takes us back to HI where a couple rescues still stand out to him. The first rescue was where he was put down in the water for 26 people who were in life rafts. The last rescue was a story that really stands out to him, a guy in a kayak offshore that just didn’t seem right to Gabe. When he got down in the water with the man, it was a conversation that led to Gabe saving his life. Enjoy!

Thank you for sponsoring this episode of The Real ResQ;

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Episode 150 Bob Watson USCG Rescue Swimmer 273 Sep 06, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of the Real ResQ, we are joined by Bob Watson, USCG Rescue Swimmer 273. After Bob and I take a trip down memory lane reflecting on some of our time together in Kodiak, Alaska, we get into his incredible career. There was a very long wait to even get to Rescue Swimmer school, but thanks to his wife Lori, Bob stayed the course. After we discuss Rescue Swimmer school, we go right into talking about rescues. His first rescue was a logger who was hit in the head by a large tree. Bob and a few others from the base hiked in to the injured logger to help. Next, we get into some astonishing rescues. We talk about each of these rescues in the following order: An Air Medal where he and his crew saved five fishermen; A Meritorious Service Medal for helping with a truck that drove off of a 150-foot cliff with two people trapped inside; A Commendation Medal for a kid stuck on the side of a cliff around the 1,300 foot level; A Distinguished Flying Cross for his efforts after Hurricane Rosa (1994) dumped 30 inches of rain in the Houston area; A second Air Medal for helping save six people from a sinking boat as it was getting hammered by 60 knot winds and 30-foot rogue waves in the Bering Sea; and a second Distinguished Flying Cross for a rescue of a downed plane with four people trapped inside. Bob adds one last story, his very last rescue, where a small plane crashed and he showed up to some WWII veterans who cheated death once again! We closed out our conversation with Bob passing on some more great knowledge. Enjoy!

Thank you for sponsoring this episode of The Real ResQ;

Breeze-Eastern, https://www.breeze-eastern.com/

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VersaLifts https://vlifts.com/

Episode 149 Jamie MoCrazy World Class Freestyle Skier and Major Head Trauma Survivor Aug 30, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of The Real ResQ, we are joined by Jamie MoCrazy, world class freestyle skier who competed in Junior World Championships, X Games, and FIS Freestyle World Ski Championship. Growing up doing gymnastics and snow skiing, Jamie wanted to bring these two sports together. So that is exactly what she did! She took women's freestyle skiing to the next level. Jamie was the first female skier to land a double backflip in a competition at the Winter X Games XVII in Aspen, Colorado. In 2015, on her second run of the competition, Jamie had a terrible accident. While attempting another double flip, she crashed and hit her head, creating major brain damage. Within minutes of her crash, the first responder ski patrol was at her side. From that point on, it was a race against time to save Jamie's life. From the ski patrol, to the helicopter crew, to the neurosurgeons, along with her family, everyone was a crucial piece of the puzzle in saving Jamie’s life. We, as rescuers, rarely get to hear what happens after we are called out to help someone in distress. Being able to sit down with Jamie, we get to hear all about how far she has come and what she has been doing since her accident. If you get a chance, go back and listen to Episode 144 with Brian Fishbook to hear his side of this incredible story. Enjoy!

https://www.mocrazystrong.org/

Thank you for sponsoring this episode of The Real ResQ;

Breeze-Eastern, https://www.breeze-eastern.com/

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VersaLifts https://vlifts.com/

Episode 148 Darcy Guyant - US Army and US Coast Guard Pilot Aug 23, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of The Real ResQ, we are joined by Darcy Guyant, pilot from the US Army and the US Coast Guard. After flying seven years in the Army, Darcy made the change to the USCG. His first rescue was in the USCG in the H52 where he landed in the water for a ‘platform pickup’. His second story with us is one of his most memorable stories. While in Port Angeles WA there was a call on Dungeness Spit where eight people were trapped due to high tide and fire on the island. The next story he tells us was as he and his crew were returning from a rescue call, Darcy all of a sudden became ill in the helicopter. A moment that he remembers vividly that changes his flying career forever. The last rescue story Darcy talks about with us earned him a Coast Guard Commendation Medal for saving three people from a sinking vessel in “50-55 knot winds and 20-25 foot seas”. We finished up our conversation talking about a book that Darcy wrote as a memoir for his granddaughter which turned into a children's book called “Into The Storm”. Enjoy!

http://www.DarcyGuyant.com

Thank you for sponsoring this episode of The Real ResQ;

Breeze-Eastern, https://www.breeze-eastern.com/

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VersaLifts https://vlifts.com

Episode 147 Jim Shorten (Jones) US Navy, US Army Special Operations and US Air Force Pararescue Aug 17, 2023

Show notes

In this episode of The Real ResQ, we are joined by Jim Shorten (Jones) who served in the US Navy, the US Army, and the US Air Force. Jim goes down memory lane with us and recalls stories from his time in Vietnam, while he was with the Navy and the Army Special Forces. He was with a special detachment intelligence group that required him and his teams to go “across the fence.” He takes us through a few of his rescue missions known as ‘Brightlight’s’. We talk about some of his missions as an Air Force Pararescue, including one where he went 1000 miles offshore, freefalling into thirty foot waves and flying back only a 100 feet above the water. We talked about so much that this write up would go on for a long time. Jim talks about jump missions, training, working with NASA, and much more. This was a very fun conversation for me. Enjoy!

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