Brotherhood of the Fin: A Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer's Story

by Gerald R. Hoover

Jerry Hoover retired from the Coast Guard in May 2006 with more deployments than any other rescue swimmer in the history of the program. His career ended with the greatest search-and-rescue effort in the history of mankind, Katrina. In Brotherhood of the Fin, Jerry recounts his transformation from ordinary Joe to seasoned life-saving veteran. Narrow escapes and heartbreaking life-and-death decisions are a part of every swimmer's life. Jerry puts us in the middle of the action as we discover how he learns to overcome the fear of his own death, put mission above personal feelings, and live with the responsibility of being someone's last hope.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction

190 pages, Paperback

First published June 15, 2007

About the author

I'm an unabashed son of Florida. Love turkey hunting in the swamps, facing down hurricanes and bathing in the humidity. Equally fond of the glass clear waters of the Bahamas. This journey called life is not meant to be taken lightly, nor is it for the faint of heart -- it's an adventure.
I am a retired Coast Guard rescue swimmer, having spent 20 years jumping out of helicopters to rescue those in peril. I also spent years building my house on a remote Bahamian island. Now I spend my days indulging in Papa Hemingway's lifestyle of working on my craft, chasing ocean creatures, and sipping good Bahamian rum. All the while observing the world self-destruct from afar. I am sitting in the shade of a coconut palm and raising my ice filled adult beverage to all of you in silent salute.
As always, I invite each of you to join me on the grand adventures offered by books. Nothing is more powerful than words and your freedom to read them.

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an exciting book for anyone who enjoys real-life "human being vs. nature" stories. I was on the edge of my seat numerous times. I enjoyed learning about the Coast Guard rescue swimmer program and what it was like to be involved in rescue efforts following Hurricane Katrina. The author's voice is engaging -- his dauntless and somewhat swashbuckling personality really comes through. The Coasties in this book descend into raging storms and life-threatening situations, where they tell terrified victims, "Don't worry, we do this all the time." According to Hoover, the number-one job requirement is to "rather die than fail."

[Jessie hastings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stories of our bravery in our US Coast Guard. A bit more dry leader informs is included.

Some really great stories of rescues by Expert level divers and seamen. I loved learning about the program and the glimpse into our Coast Guard. I only wish there was even more of the daredevil rescues that took place at that time.

[CG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating story


I read this with interest as my late husband served in Coast Guard, sometimes flying SAR helicopter missions in the late 60's, early 70's. It gave me a deep appreciation for what the Coast has, is and will continue doing. Thank you for sharing these stories.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action packed

Thankful for the Coast Guard!!! A brief synopsis of the dedicated Coast Guard swimmers in action. Enjoyable to read and informative.

[Carl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting memoirs of a Coast Guard “rescue swimmer”. Most Coast Guard helicopters that I see going over (I live by the water) have a four-person crew: pilot/commander, copilot/navigator, flight mechanic/hoist operator, and rescue swimmer. When the helicopter reaches a boat or person in trouble, the rescue swimmer is lowered onto the boat or the water, or free falls into the water. The rescue swimmer then puts the endangered people in a basket or litter and has them hoisted to safety on the helicopter.

I met a retired rescue swimmer once who said he must have been crazy to take on the job, and after reading this book I guess I would say he was right. Physically very demanding and dangerous – going out in a helicopter into vicious storms, swimming in 30 foot seas, crawling around slippery decks of boats about to capsize. These are some of the stories from the book. (Definitely a young man’s game – the author retired at 40.)

Coast Guard helicopters do not just rescue people at sea. They might go to an automobile accident, and very often rescue flood victims onshore, as the book relates about the Katrina hurricane.

I was especially impressed by the various requirements to be a good rescue swimmer. Of course he or she has to be an excellent swimmer and have considerable strength and endurance to survive and function in horrible conditions, but also a rescue swimmer must be trained as an emergency medical technician. Many times the survivors in a boating disaster need medical help before they can be transported. A rescue swimmer must also take command of the situation sometimes. For example, when there are several people who need help, deciding who gets to leave and who stays until the next helicopter. These are talents that you don’t get just by being able to swim the length of a pool a couple of times under water.

[Dakota · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really surprised by this one. My initial thought was that this, like so many other military memoirs, would be poorly written and hard to follow. I was very wrong. Hoover has a very simple style that makes the story both enjoyable and easy to follow.

At some points I felt he became a bit preachy, but hey! This guy worked one of the most difficult jobs out there and even more than that was one of the original swimmers who, I believe, has a right to brag. After reading Hoover's memoir and gaining something of an insight into his motivation and personal philosophy I have nothing but the most complete admiration and respect for him.

My favorite part was the inside perspective on Hurricane Katrina. I was so far removed and oblivious to the massive suffering and horror of that time that it never really meant anything to me. It was great to read Hoover's account of those days, made even more enthralling that it was the view from a first-responder.

I did not like the wink and a nod Hoover gives out to George W. Bush, who he meets during Katrina. Of course it's not conventional for a serviceman to speak negatively about his Commander-in-chief, but the way he wrote about W. was somewhat reverent. Not a huge issue, but I think we can all agree with years of review afforded us, that the response to Katrina was poorly managed and far delayed. "Brownie, you're doing a heck of a job!" Well not really Brownie...

Overall, I think this is an excellent book and hope that it gets more attention than what is seen on GRs. Highly recommended to all!

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you enjoy watching "Coast Guard Alaska" or "Coast Guard Florida," you'll love this book! Some of the rescue swimmers featured on the show are actually mentioned by the author in some of the stories he includes. It's cool to see how they've grown in their careers.

The book highlights a number of dramatic rescues by the USCG and explains the process that took place to implement the AST/Rescue Swimmer program. There are also great examples of the leadership necessary to make changes within a military organization.

Bravo Zulu.

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Gerald starts out talking about an incident that happened in 1983 that changed the Coast Guard. Then Chapter 1 jumps ahead. Chapter 2 comes back to the 1983 incident. I wasn't paying attention to the dates as closely as I should have so I got confused. But once I realized what he had done, I was on track and stayed up way too late to finish the book. I found it to be very readable and easy to understand. It truly made me realize how fabulous our Coast Guard members are.

[Richard Waystack · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read

Great stories of Coast Guard rescues, including Hurricane Katrina by a rescue swimmer. Interesting history of the rescue swimmer program