Steve Torpey

They were going up and down these waves, getting tumbled all the time.

They did some really, really smart things, though.

They stayed together as much as they could.

We didn't know how many people were on the boat, but we could see four or five people down there.

So we were just focused on them.

Yeah, it probably took 20 minutes just to get the basket close.

And Fred did a marvelous job.

Fred and Lee were both in the cabin trying to get that basket timing right.

I started noticing that the distances are getting smaller and smaller.

Then I heard hold, and I was like, cool.

So we got the basket near the survivors, and Fred said, this is someone in the basket, and he started hoisting the person up.

And wow, I was thrilled.

I mean, I don't know how to describe that feeling.

I mean, the guy's coming up and then he got into the aircraft.

They brought him in and I looked back and I could see him.

I was like, we just got him.

We're going to get all of them.

I absolutely knew we're going to get all these people now.

So once the basket came in, the person got out of the basket.

We started for the second hoist.