Ordinary Heroes - Lenny Skutnik

On January 13th, 1982, Air Florida flight 90 crashed into the ice-covered waters of the Potomac River. Only six of the 74 passengers survived the crash, and all six were clinging to the wreckage of the plan's tail section in the freezing water of the Potomac. Due to the icy conditions, it was impossible for rescuers on the shore to reach the stranded survivors.

Then, at 4:20pm, 19 minutes after the crash, a US Park Service helicopter with pilot Donald Usher and paramedic Gene Windsor arrived at the scene. In spite of near white-out conditions, the helicopter crew lowered makeshift rescue lines and began lifting the survivors, now suffering from hypothermia, to shore. One of them, Priscilla Tirado lost her grip and was floundering in the near freezing water. She tried several more times to grab the lifeline, but was unable to hold on, and began to drown. An onlooker, Leonard Skutnik, who had witnessed the crash as he walked home from his job at the Congressional Budget Office, stripped off his parka and plunged into the freezing water, swimming about 25-feet out to reach Tirado moments before she slipped beneath the surface. After pulling her to safety on the shore, one more survivor, Patricia Felch was pulled to safety by the helicopter crew. By then, the sixth person, Arland Williams, who had earlier passed the rescue line to flight attendant Kelly Duncan, had disappeared beneath the waters, along with the tail section of the plane.

Roger Olian, who had earlier entered the freezing water several times in an attempt to reach the survivors, along with Skutnik and the crew of the Park Service helicopter were honored by the US Coast Guard and the Carnegie Hero Fund Medal. President Reagan invited Leonard Skutnik to attend his State of the Union message two weeks later where Reagan publicly recognized and thanked Skutnik for his heroism. Kelly Duncan, a member of the Air Florida flight crew was commended in the NTSB report on the crash for giving her life vest to one of the passengers. The 14th Street Bridge, which had been severely damaged when struck by the jet, was renamed in honor of Arland Williams.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• heroes
• air disaster
• lenny skutnik
• flight 90
• air florida
• potomac
• US Park Service
• rescue

[COSMOTOPPER777]

FYI, I did not approve the advertisements, and I don't receive compensation for this, or any other video I post to YouTube. I think it's inappropriate, but there's nothing I can do about it.

[ceddie1988]

oggasteen you are a real pompatus asshole . with your yippie yuppie mentality, your so wrapped up in your grey poupon champagne holier then thou attitude, you missed the whole point about god smiling ear to ear. a moronic selfish mind like yours could never grasp.!!!!

[COSMOTOPPER777]

@ceddie1988 (and all others engaged in the vitriolic rhetoric). A well-intended comment by someone who happened to see this event in terms of his personal faith has been the departure point for people who don't know each other hurling venomous comments at each other. I'm leaving them up because they stand as a useful counterexample of what this posting was intended to celebrate about human nature.

[katiethekitten13]

Hello all, Lenny Skutnik is my uncle. To answer...Lenny lives a very modest life. He has never tried to cash in on what he did. In fact, he did not even want to be recognized for it and has a hard time even doing interviews. It is correct that he still works at the same place. Thank you to the person who made this video. It makes me even more proud of him. :)

[COSMOTOPPER777]

@katiethekitten13

The video is an excerpt from a series on airline disasters. I posted it during the media storm apropos Capt. Sullenberger's landing on the Hudson. I respect what he did. But Lenny remains a greater inspiration to me. What I admire most is not so much the risk of plunging into the water, but the courage to step out from the safety of the crowd, risking failure to try and save the life of a stranger. I hope I would have the guts to do the same. Tell him thanks for all of us.

[COSMOTOPPER777]

@katiethekitten13 Apropos the video clip itself, it was an excerpt from a series called "Seconds from Disaster" produced by National Geographic Television.

[redhummert]

The last hand shown on the video was Arland Williams. He passed his safety rope five times to other passengers before he drowned.  Another hero. Amazing story.

[hufy11]

@katiethekitten13 Katie, Lenny had allot of friends in Simi.Ca. When you see your uncle, tell him the old gang from Tapo canyon are very proud of him.

B. Hufford

[basehead617]

I can't tell, is any of this footage real or is it all dramatized? Great production job that you can't even tell which is which.. I assume some is real

[bluegrassreb1]

what a hero!!

and what a pilot!!

[bungalowmo]

I have watched versions of this clip many times. What has been ingrained in my mind are first, the look of total confusion and helplessness on Priscilla's face. What a horrific experience this must have been for her. The gut reaction of Lenny Skutnik. God bless you for pushing aside all fears and jumping in to save her! The amazing and precise actions by the helicopter rescue team. And last, but not least, the selfless actions of Arland Williams. To put his own safety last...#1 HERO!

[bshaun21]

Way to go guy. Great big basket of hero cookies for that dude. My question is this. With all those fkn people watching from the bridges and embankments , why was this guy the only one willing to risk himself to help ? I realize that not everyone has it in them to sacrifice themselves for another. But seriously, 1 guy ?, all those fkn people and only one guy was willing ? What a bunch of gdamn cowards.

[dustyflair]

@katiethekitten13 Tell Uncle Lenny he's MY HERO and based upon what he did I have NEVER hesitated to help someone. I remember watching this on TV when I was a kid and seeing what Uncle Lenny did! It changed my life. Uncle Lenny touched MANY people around the word and actually in his own way, made the world a better place!!!

[Doherty2266]

Unbelievable, what true heroes, thank you to Mr. Skutnik, the helicopter crew, Mr. olian and the others. They are an inspiration to me and I hope many others. I just saw the video on the weather channel(9/30/11), I hope if I'm ever presented with a similar situation I would act in kind.

[3piper]

Thank you!!!I always heard of the potomic river rescue I never saw original footage except for bits and pieces.