Army Reporter information
for 92 AHC
10 CAB
For date 710315
92 AHC was a US Army unit
10 CAB was a US Army unit
Primary service involved, US Army
South Vietnam
Location, Dong Ba Thin
Description: 15Mar71 Chopper plays lifeguard
DONG BA THIN - A daring sea rescue was not a part of the flight plan, but luckily, WO John W. Tucker Jr. was on hand to initiate just such an operation as he piloted his Huey over the beach at Tuy Hoa. Tucker of the 17th Combat Aviation Gp.'s 92nd Assault Helicopter Co., 10th Aviation Bn., was flying over the central coast beach when he spotted a man waving a towel, frantically trying to attract help for a man being buffeted by pounding surf in the coastal waters. Reacting immediately, Tucker pulled the ship to a hover about four feet above the choppy ocean surface, directly over the struggling swimmer, Spec. 5 Richard G. Austin, gunner, and Spec. 4 Larry Stirling, crew chief, edged their way out on the Huey's skids and tried to grab the man. With the wind blowing at 15 knots and a three-foot waves lashing the man, the two crew members were unable to maintain a firm grip and he drifted away from his rescuers toward the tail rotor. Finally, he managed to get hold of the aircraft's tail stinger. Thinking the rescue complete, Tucker back-hovered his Huey to within a short distance from the shore, where the man jumped back into the water. But while the ship was maneuvered around for a landing on the beach, the crew could see that the man was making no progress in his struggle to get to the beach. The undertow was pulling him back out to sea. As the helicopter again moved into position over the man, Austin was able to get a firm grip on the swimmer. Hanging precariously by one hand, the man was brought back to shore, where he was secured by people on the beach. Suffering from exhaustion, he was loaded onto the aircraft by the crew and taken to a hospital in Tuy Hoa.
Comments: WO Tucker, John W. Jr.; pilot; ;
SP4 Stirling, Larry; crew chief; ;
SP5 Austin, Richard G.; gunner; ;
The source for this information was 7103AR.AVN supplied by Les Hines
Additional information is available on CD-ROM.
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Last updated
04/12/2005
Date posted on this site:
05/13/2023