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!

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