Earlier this year, on February 3, the United States Coast Guard in Astoria, Oregon, received a mayday call from a yacht taking on the water at the mouth of the Columbia River. A young African American U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Helicopter Rescue Swimmer named John “Branch” Walton was assigned to respond. This rescue was his first official mission. The Coast Guard rescued a man as a giant wave ruled his yacht. The remarkable rescue Friday at the mouth of the Columbia River as it flows into the Pacific Ocean, notorious for 20 to 40-foot waves. Petty Officer First Class Branch Walton dropped down from a chopper and into the water, inching closer to the boat when the massive wave crashed.
The waves were pretty violent. You have to ride it out. Branch yelled at the distressed victim and said he should not do anything but remain calm and just breathe in and out. Branch was lowered from the helicopter by a cable, and as he neared the vessel, the man on board climbed onto the stern, preparing to get into the water, but then a huge wave slammed the boat, throwing him into the wave. The wave struck so hard that the boat rolled over and floated upright. Branch located the man in the surf and pulled him to safety.
Amy Green (February 17, 2023), a reporter for Oregon Live, spoke with Branch Walton and asked him, “How and why did you decide to become a rescue swimmer? Branch answers that he had in the back of his head for a while growing up what he wanted to do. It’s an excellent opportunity to help people. Right out of high school, Branch was not interested in attending college, so he did not hesitate to sign the papers for enlistment. Branch adds that he wasn’t always a good swimmer and admits that he couldn’t swim 50 yards when he joined the Coast Guard.
His training helped him become highly proficient and confident at swimming. Branch mentions that he was training much of the week, so when his helicopter reached the mouth of the Columbia River, Branch Walton’s Coast Guard preparation did just that.
He gives continued appreciation to his crew, he states, “I knew I was in good hands. I have an amazing crew”. Unfortunately, over time, as the Associated Press (May 1, 2008) reports that culturally, “nearly 60 percent of African-American children cannot swim, almost twice the figure for white children, according to a first-of-its-kind survey which USA Swimming hopes will strengthen its efforts to lower minority drowning rates and draw more blacks into the sport.” The Associated Press article further mentions, “Stark statistics underlie the initiative by the national governing body for swimming.
Black children drown at a rate almost three times the overall rate. And less than 2 percent of USA Swimming’s nearly 252,000 members who swim competitively year-round are black.” “The USA Swimming commissioned an ambitious study recently completed by five experts at the University of Memphis’ Department of Health and Sports Sciences. They surveyed 1,772 children aged 6 to 16 in six cities — two-thirds black or Hispanic — to gauge what factors contributed most to the minority swimming gap.” The study found that 31 percent of the white respondents could not swim safely, compared to 58 percent of the blacks. The non-swimming rate for Hispanic children was almost as high — 56 percent — although more than twice as many Hispanics as blacks are now USA Swimming members. The numbers were dictated by primarily having access to a pool and a community to teach swimming, the cultural desire, and, in some instances, for younger adults, people not considering learning to swim a priority. We have to change the Narrative!
When the 2008 Associated Press story was published in 2008, Branch was about 6 or 7 years old. John “Branch” Walton, a 22-year-old swimmer, is a positive role model for Black, Brown, and White kids in the United States. Learning how to swim is possible!
The Narrative Matters!
References:
Associated Press (May 1, 2008). Nearly 60 percent of black children can’t swim (nbcnews.com)
Caballero, D. (February 13, 2023). Meet the rescue swimmer who saved a man after a massive wave capsized a yacht > United States Coast Guard > My Coast Guard News (uscg.mil)
Caballero, D. (February 18, 2023). The big wave and the yacht: USCG Rescue Swimmer John “Branch” (hlcopters.com)
Coast Guard Rescue (February 3, 2018). https://youtu.be/cJer-UATzBQ
Green, A. (February 17, 2023). Coast Guard swimmer recounts dramatic rescue of alleged Oregon yacht thief and ‘Goonies’ prankster – oregonlive.com
Keywords: Branch Walton, U.S. Coast Guard, Rescue swimmer, Black trailblazer, Aviation survival
#Trailblazer #BranchWalton #USCoastGuard
