Displayed Heroism During Rescue In Yolo County, California

Lt. Cdr. Jacob Conrad, a San Francisco-based U.S. Coast Guard helicopter pilot, was presented a Distinguished Flying Cross by Rear Adm. Joseph Buzzela, Commander, USCG District Eleven, who presided over the ceremony held on December 12, 2024 at the Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco.

Conrad was recognized for his heroism as aircraft commander while flying the helicopter during a rescue mission in Yolo County, California, on December 29, 2023. Three other crewmembers of the flight, copilot Lt. j.g. Thomas Smith, Petty Officer 3rd Class Jordan Sanchez, flight mechanic, and Petty Officer 1st Class Michael Romano, rescue swimmer, were previously recognized for their actions during the rescue with Air Medals.

After receiving a report of two persons stranded on a cliff, one of whom had fallen 100 feet and sustained serious injuries, Conrad and his aircrew were dispatched in their MH-65 Dolphin helicopter at around midnight to the location of the incident northwest of Sacramento.

During the flight, Conrad faced convective activity and aircraft icing while navigating hazardous terrain in a winter storm that forced an emergency landing. During the night, land rescuers had ascended the valley wall but they were now also trapped by landslides and heavy rainfall.

Conrad launched again at first light and after in internal comms failure, navigated the helicopter three miles through the narrow, fog-covered valley to locate the survivors 700 feet up a canyon wall. He maneuvered the helicopter into a precision hover 200 feet above the survivors’ position, surrounded on three sides mere feet from overhanging trees and rocks.

After deploying the rescue swimmer and basket, he kept the hover as the basket with the severely injured person was hoisted and recovered. As winds began to build up he returned to the wall with the helicopter within one percent of its maximum power output and deployed the basket three more times, recovering the other survivor and the two rescuers.

The DFC is the highest military award in the U.S. for aerial achievement.

FMI:  www.news.uscg.mil/