- [Voiceover] Racing their
boats to the open ocean, flying their jets and patrolling
in helicopters overhead along southern Florida, the people of the United
States Coast Guard are always ready to put
their lives on the line to serve, rescue and protect. - You're thinking about the people that you're there to help. You' re thinking about the job that you're there to do. - [Voiceover] The Coast
Guardsmen stationed in Miami and Key West battle
dangerous conditions everyday to enforce the law and save lives. - Knowing that in the end, we're coming out on top and we're gonna win. It's the excitement of it. - [Voiceover] The Coast Guard constantly faces unpredictable conditions. With danger as an understood
and respected part of their job, the members of the Coast Guard bravely put their lives
on the line everyday. (rock music) The United States has numerous
water borders to protect. And Air Station Miami is the
busiest air and rescue unit in the world. They cover over 55,000
square miles of ocean. Air Station Miami has eight
AH65 Dolphin Helicopters and six HU25 Falcon Guardian jets with flight crews continuously on standby for law enforcement or
search and rescue missions. While on duty, petty officer Eric Pointer works in the swim shop. On his 24-hour shifts, this award- winning rescue swimmer is always ready for emergencies. Day or night. (beeping) - [Voiceover] Now Launch
to Ready 65 for SAR, Launch to Ready 65 for SAR. (Rock Music) As soon as he gets the call Eric heads to the locker
room to get ready. The first step is to put on his wetsuit and survival gear. Meanwhile, helicopter pilots Lt. Marcus Canady and Lt. Lance Kirk come into the operations center. They get briefed on the mission. - Five for a missing jetskier ten nautical miles to the
southeast of Key Biscayne. He was last seen around 1600 and I'll pass more details
as they come to me. - Alright, roger that. I'll do ORM. - [Voiceover] ORM is the
Operational Risk Management log. In it Marcus fills in the flight details writing in any potential risks associated with the mission. Lance surveys the latest weather reports making certain that it's safe for his team to go out. - Weather's looking pretty good, we've got some storms
coming from the south but they look like they're dissipating instead of building. A good coast Guardsman, probably was somebody that's got stamina and determination. You gotta have the
stamina for the long hours and to be able to be on the ready like you gotta be in the Coast Guard. Determination, to go through the training and to really have the need to complete the job. Got the search plan, got the goggles. Ready to go? - [Voiceover] The helicopter crew is less than 30 minutes from launch and still has a lot to do. - It's not a normal 9-5 job. At any point in time, I could be shifting
gears and doing something completely different. - I couldn't imagine coming in and sitting on a desk from 9 to 5. Can I imagine myself being in the ocean and getting paid to be
in the ocean all day? Of course. - [Voiceover] The maintenance
and helicopter crews are hard at work preparing the chopper for the mission. They have less than 30
minutes to get their chopper ready for takeoff. - A lot of times, when people hurry, they end up making mistakes. They forget a couple of
things here or there, and I've noticed that
whether you run or you walk, but if you do things quickly, we're still able to meet our launch window and I can make sure that I've
done everything correctly. - [Voiceover] As Marcus
enters maintenance control, he meets up with Justin Swearengin, the flight mechanic. Justin has already been verifying the maintenance logs for the helicopter they
will be flying today. - 1500 pounds. - We all basically just work as a team. Everybody knows their
duties and their jobs through hours and hours of training. And everybody respects one another and each other's job. - [Voiceover] The vests the pilots wear are called Sar Warrior vests. They are actually inflateable life vests filled with essential survival gear. Should a major problem arise, these vests will be their
best chance for survival. Marcus signs the aircraft out. With fuel calculations complete, they're off to the runway. By now, the helicopter is inspected and fully fueled. They finish up packing
the last of their gear. Time is crucial. It will be dark soon, which will make finding
the jetskier difficult. Eric accounts for all
of his survival gear. He's ready to go. Justin double-checks the
night-vision components. With nightfall coming soon, this equipment will be essential. The pilots quickly
reinspect the helicopter. One error and the mission could quickly turn into disaster. - You're under a lot of pressure when you're conducting these
search and rescue missions. It's moreso pressure that
I think, than stress. But we're trained to
handle those pressures and perform well under them. (radio chatter) - [Voiceover] Less than 30 minutes after the initial call, the Coast Guard flies to the rescue. Getting a rescue helicopter
so quickly in the air is the result of tight teamwork. The pilot makes sure his entire crew is on the same page. - We have a missing jetskier, possibly disoriented in Key Biscayne. We're gonna go and do a predetermined search plan and gain is gonna be high, the possibility of saving a life. - At night, finding a
person that's in the water, it's like finding a needle in a haystack. That's why in the Coast guard we want people so much
to wear strobe lights or have some kind of light source on them. - [Voiceover] As day turns to night, the pilots must now use
their night-vision equipment. - We use night vision goggles and the helicopter's really
technologically advanced. It helps us out tremendously with giving us the information to help fly through those
kinds of conditions. (radio chatter) - [Voiceover] Flying over an ocean that has turned black as
the night around them, the pilots are having trouble spotting the missing jetskier. - I wish he got a strobe
light on now so I can see him. I don't see him at all. - I believe I do. - [Voiceover] They cannot find the jetski which may have sunk, so they concentrate on
trying to find the survivor. (indistinct radio chatter) - Alright fellas, this one coming up here it looks like I believe I
see a person in the water. - [Voiceover] Marcus was mistaken. - [Voiceover] You have him? - Nope. - [Voiceover] Actually
shows how difficult it is to see a person in the water with goggles. - Yeah, I know. - [Voiceover] He may already
be fighting hypothermia and drowning as a result. - - [Voiceover] I see him, I see him. Lance thinks he may
have spotted the victim. They turn around to take a second look. - [Voiceover] Somewhere near to the left. - Roger. - [Voiceover] So he should be out here to the right, I'm gonna
back it up a little. - [Marcus] To the right, or to the left? - [Voiceover] He should be to the right. Wait, he's ahead of us, you can see him. - [Voiceover] Justin, the flight mechanic thinks he spotted the swimmer just off of the helicopter's nose. The survivor is still
afloat and conscious. The pilots prepare the helicopter for a hover 25 feet above the survivor. Eric suits up, preparing himself for the rescue swim ahead while Justin prepares the hoist that will lower Eric into
the dark ocean below. With one final check, the cable is safely
secured to his harness. - Your adrenaline is pumping. And your adrenaline is going and you're not thinking about yourself. At that moment in time, you're selfless. So you're thinking about the people that you're there to help. You're thinking about the job that you're there to do. - [Voiceover] Check the swimmer. Swimmer is ready. - [Voiceover] Roger that, copy you. - [Voiceover] Roger
that, hold your position. Moving swimmer out. - [Voiceover] Justin
coordinates his hoisting efforts with the pilots. - [Voiceover] Swimmer's going down. Easy forward and right. - [Voiceover] Eric must
be lowered into the water because at night, it is
too dangerous for him to do a freefall. Justin always keeps his
eyes on the rescue swimmer in case something was to go wrong. (indistinct radio chatter) (indistinct radio chatter) - [Voiceover] For pickup of
the swimmer and survivor. - [Voiceover] Roger on hot mike I've got the swimmer
and survivor in sight. Hold your position. - [Voiceover] Roger, holding. - [Voiceover] Switch going down. Switch going down. Forward and right. Fine, easy forward and right. And hold. Sleep through the water. Swimmer's good for the hook up. Position and altitude are good. I have the ready for pickup signal. Swimmer's clear, get a bit back and left. Taking the load. - [Voiceover] Pullin her out (indistinct) - [Voiceover] Swimmer's clear,
get a bit back and left. Swimmer and survivor are on their way up. Swimmer's up toward the rail. Swimmer's at the rail. - [Voiceover] Now that the
jetskier is inside and safe, they switch off their night vision. - [Voiceover] Survivor is in the cabin. - [Voiceover] The pilots
must hold the chopper in a steady hover until
Eric has fully administered the necessary medical attention and secured the survivor. Eric first checks the
survivor's blood pressure and respiration rate. Hypothermia is a severe condition that demands immediate medical attention. (beeping) They need to take this man to the hospital as quickly as possible. - [Voiceover] Now we are in transit en route to Jackson Memorial Hospital. - [Voiceover] Eric now turns his attention to the flight team and begins briefing them
on the situation at hand. - Survivor is just a bit mild hypothermic but we're warming him up back here. I'll put some blankets on him. Vitals seem pretty stable at this point, I got an IV going into him, giving him some fluids back, he seems a little bit dehydrated. And that might be causing
his altered mental status. He said he might have hit his head so it's a possible head injury. Right now he's in and out of it. I'm just keeping him awake and hopefully we'll
get there pretty quick. - Roger that, you continue doing that. Right now we're about
10 miles to the south of Jackson Memorial Hospital. We'll be on deck there in approximately 5 minutes. We'll have medical personnel standing by to assist
you with the patient. Looks like I'm clear to the south, I have nothing on TCAS
coming down onto the right. - [Voiceover] Roger. - [Voiceover] The hospital
is equipped with a helipad, but performing a landing on a rooftop in the middle of the city
also has its challenges. (indistinct radio chatter) - [Voiceover] With the
helicopter safely grounded, Eric accompanies the
survivor into the hospital where a team of doctors
and nurses are standing by. Mission accomplished. Eric and his team can
now return to the base knowing that they have saved another life. (radio chatter) This is just one of 4,000
cases the Coast Guard will face this year. Being dispatched on a
daily basis to save lives is a part of their job. With a fly-by of beautiful downtown Miami, the rescue team now
heads back to their base at Opa Loca airport near Miami Lakes. - [Voiceover] Miami Air,
Miami Air, Miami Air 6562 is back on deck. - [Voiceover] Roger, welcome back. - [Voiceover] Air Station
Miami has an army of mechanics continuously maintaining their fleet of Falcon jets and Dolphin helicopters. They must always be kept in top condition and be ready to go in seconds. Pilots Marcus Canady and Lance Kerr have to constantly train and fine-tune their abilities to accomplish difficult maneuvers with the Dolphin helicopter. - Four right pattern nano right. (radio chatter) - [Voiceover] This is a
simulated tail rotor failure in which the pilots have
to practice a technique that allows them to land an aircraft with a failed tail rotor. This procedure requires the pilot to approach the runway with
the nose of the aircraft skewed to the right. Then through careful
coordination of the controls, he executes a running landing, straightening the nose just prior to touching down. - [Voiceover] 21059 here, Roger. - [Voiceover] Right, that
looked so good. (chuckling) - [Voiceover] The Coast Guard swimmers must also stay in excellent shape. And motivating young recruits is part of their job. - Hey guys, Miller says he loves pushups. Leader Russ! Down, up, down, up, down, up. You know there's not
too many jobs out there where you can say you
get paid to work out. Let's go, let's go, come on! - [Voiceover] They now execute pedal turns in both clockwise and
counter-clockwise directions to allow them to have 360 degree views of their search areas. A helicopter's strength
is its ability to hover. Every pilot must master the various skills associated with hovering. The next challenge is flying backwards which is a lot more complex and dangerous than putting your car in reverse. - What Miller? It's such a beautiful day here in Miami, you wanna do flutter kicks? Let's go, flutter kicks, get there! - [Voiceover] The swimmers train the same way that military personnel do, the hard way. They must be able to carry
twice their bodyweight often in harsh conditions. - When you train and you
train as much as we do, and finally you get to go
in, you get to do your job, I think it's rewarding. Point your toes. Let's go, let's go, come on! Let's go! ♫Rescue swimming is the life for me♫ - [all together] Hoo rah,
hoo rah, rescue, rescue - [Voiceover] There's
no quitting in our job. And that's pounded into us from the very first day. Nobody in our job is a quitter. - [Voiceover] Now Marcus and
Lance are flying 50 miles out into the ocean for their final and most challenging training today. Landing on a moving ship at night. This is the Mohawk, a 270 foot Coast Guard
cutter with a helicopter pad. Lance and Marcus must wait till darkness before they land on the moving ship. (radio chatter) - It's definitely the
most risky maneuver we do is flying out over the water at night. Before you come in for a landing they tell you what their speed is so you have an idea of it. But they're trying to
get as fast as they can to give you more wind
through the rotor heads so it makes it easier to
actually come in and land but it's all visual. It's all me, just depth perception of seeing how fast they're moving and how fast I need to catch up to them. - [Voiceover] 6562 Heading Mohawk You are cleared for landing. - At night over the water
when you go into the cutter, it seems like a black hole. It's almost like you're in outer space and you're trying to
dock with a space shuttle or something like that. Coast Guard Cutters are fairly small compared to most military style ships. One pilot is definitely
always on the instruments and the other pilot's always looking out. It's always been the most strangest thing to come and land and have somebody standing that close right in front of you when you're coming and landing. It's definitely by far
the most unique thing that we do. - [Voiceover] This is one of
the most difficult maneuvers a helicopter pilot needs to do. - [Voiceover] It's the
circle, easy forward, easy forward down. Any mistake could be disastrous. - [Voiceover] We got a lock - [Voiceover] And we are lock. Alright we got two men on this side. - [Voiceover] Two on my side. - [Voiceover] Roger that. - [Voiceover] When the Falcon jet crews are not doing patrols for law enforcement, they work at the base
doing collateral duties. The two jet pilots are Lt. Jason Barrett and co-pilot Lt. Stasia Cwiklinski. - I feel privileged
not because I'm a woman but because I get to do
this as a job everyday. It's a really fun job and I enjoy it and the people I work
with are really great. And I believe in what we do as a service. (beeping) - [Voiceover] This is a
search and rescue call. This is the moment they've
trained so hard for. - [Voiceover] Falcon for SAR
launch to ready Falcon for SAR Recreational vessel taking on water 10 nautical miles east of Fort Lauderdale. Now, launch to ready 65 for SAR, launch to ready 65 for SAR. - [Voiceover] The helicopter
crew is also needed on this mission as the
dispatches are uncertain about the state of the
vessel and survivors. - Ok, what's going on? (indistinct) - 26 foot Grady white taking on water about 20 miles off of Baker's Holloway. There's five POV and they gave me this approximate location. They just faxed over the search area and if you guys have any questions just give me a call. - Great, you wanna get the
stuff together, Stasia? I'll get the search plan. - [Voiceover] While Jason
studies the mission, Stasia checks on the
local weather forecast. Jason calls the air traffic control tower. - be heading offshore today east of Fort Lauderdale. Three hours, we should be
launching in 30 minutes. Ok thank you. - You guys need anything, just give me a call back on uniform. - Great, thanks much. We'll see you, we'll give
you a call on the radio when we get out there. - Have a safe flight, guys. - Thank you. - [Voiceover] Jason and Stasia head to the maintenance control room to get information on the
aircraft they will use. - Hey guys. Anybody get a plane for
me at 858 woodhouse? - Got a good plane, it's all ready to go. - We got a 26 foot Grady
White about 15 miles east of Baker's Hollow taking on water so if we can make sure we
get a second pump on there. - Probably get a hold of the swimmer shop and get that pump for you. - Appreciate it. - [Voiceover] Jamar Jones, an aviation electrical technician will accompany the crew. - Alright I'll meet you at the point. - [Voiceover] Both the jet and helicopter are now ready for their crews. The Falcon jet weighs over 12 tons and has a fuel capacity of 10,430 pounds, making it possible to stay in the air for more than five hours. Jason must inspect the
jet before taking off. The helicopter crew is also getting ready. Pilot Lance Kerr performs
a pre-flight check on the Dolphin helicopter. The dropmaster supervises the spin up of the powerful engines to make sure they're both functioning properly. (radio chatter) The jet taxis out to the runway. They've been cleared for takeoff. In 25 seconds the Falcon jet
accelerates down the runway hitting 150 miles an hour before takeoff. It's maximum speed is 470 miles an hour. - I put in the coordinates for the boat. And our search area's in there. - [Voiceover] A few seconds later, the helicopter lifts off. (radio chatter) - [Voiceover] Hi guys,
offshore here going in search of this vessel that's taking on water. And approximately 20 miles out now. - [Voiceover] While Marcus is piloting out for rendezvous with the jet, Lance briefs the crew on the final details of the mission. - If you see me coming
there decelerating altitude that means we're not gonna make it you go hitting below the floats. If the pump doesn't work, if the vessel is taking up more water than we can handle, we're going to go ahead, get them off the boat and hoist them up to either basket or if they're injured in any way we'll adjust as necessary. - [Voiceover] The faster moving jet crew arrives on site first and
locates the ship in distress. They relay the coordinates
to the helicopter crew closing in. - Yeah we got position 2553. - [Voiceover] The jet crew
will try to drop a pump to the sinking boat. A jet flying low over the ocean with an open hatch is very dangerous. - If you're down low and for some reason you lose an engine, it could be mere seconds
before you have to impact the water. His first response should
be to get the drop hatch closed immediately. - [Voiceover] The dropmaster
unlatches the safety pin and waits for the command. - [Voiceover] Drop, drop, drop. - [Voiceover] The pump is
attached to a parachute that immediately opens and allows for the rescue equipment
to be gently lowered to the boat taking on water. At a speed of 155 miles an hour, at 200 feet in altitude,
the pilots have been able to drop the pump a mere
15 feet from their target. - [Voiceover] Nice job, look at that. - [Voiceover] The
dropmaster must immediately close the hatch. - [Voiceover] Roger, say we're
setting up a pump right now. - [Voiceover] Ten minutes after the jet made visual contact with the damaged boat, the helicopter crew arrives on the scene. - [Voiceover] The loud
board with the blue top? - [Voiceover] That's affirmative. - [Voiceover] Trying to
get the pump working. - [Voiceover] The boat
crew must operate the pump and work quickly as their vessel continues to take on water. If the pump can get the water out faster than it gets in,
the boat will be saved. - [Voiceover] We have the pump operating. - [Voiceover] The jet crew
is still flying nearby. They have a spare liferaft if needed. - [Voiceover] June Marie, June Marie, this is Rescue Coast Guard helicopter 6562 - [Voiceover] It's pumping but
we're still taking on water faster than the pump
can pump it out, over. - We're gonna place the
helicopter in position to drop our rescue
swimmer to swim on board. - [Voiceover] Yes sir,
we copy that just fine. - [Voiceover] Speed's good for the door. - [Voiceover] Roger. (indistinct radio chatter) - [Voiceover] (indistinct
radio chatter) is complete Ready out for freefall
deployment of the rescue swimmer. - [Voiceover] Roger, go
hot mike check swimmer. - [Voiceover] Roger, on
hot mike check the swimmer. - [Voiceover] Swimmer's ready. Swimmer's away. Swimmer's in the water. Swimmer's ok. (radio chatter) - [Voiceover] 2b, request
to say again, over. - [Voiceover] Eric radios the crew to give them an update of the situation. - [Voiceover] Alright rescue
crew of 6562, go ahead. - [Voiceover] That's a roger for the 652. - We will then pick you up and take you to the rescue helicopter. Now, copy. - [Voiceover] The first
survivor jumps in the water to be towed toward the helicopter. - [Voiceover] Getting
ready for pickup signals. (indistinct radio chatter)
Basket pickup of the survivor. Roger, target is at my 1:32 oclock. This is my hoisting altitude around 30 feet. Have a little bit of a
weird lean to the aircraft since we're outside the wind here. Basket's going down. Clear the basket. It's going down. Easy forward right. Easy forward and right. Easy forward and right. (indistinct chatter) Easy forward and right and hold. Survivor's getting in the basket. Lift up just a little bit. Easy forward and right. Easy forward and right. Got the ready for pickup signal. - [Voiceover] Roger. - [Voiceover] Towards to the water. Taking the load. Look about back and left. Survivor's coming up. Survivor's coming up. Survivor's just below the aircraft just below the rail. - [Voiceover] As Justin
pulls in the first survivor, all he can think about is
the four other survivors still trapped on the boat below. - Can you get out? Ok, survivor's in the cabin. Hoist is complete. - Cut back into the left. - Roger that, I'm gonna rig the basket for second survivor pickup. Moving basket out. - [Voiceover] Miami Air Station calls to check on the fuel situation. - [Voiceover] Hey how much fuel do you guys have on board right now? - [Voiceover] Right now we got 600 pounds. We probably got another
15 minutes on scene. 15 to 20 minutes. - [Voiceover] With strong
winds pushing the helicopter, the pilots must work very hard to keep a steady hover. - [Voiceover] Easy forward and right. Easy forward and right. - [Voiceover] With the mission nearing a successful end, the Falcon jet crew can return to Miami Air Station. - [Voiceover] Heroes on scene hoisting the last survivor right now. - [Voiceover] And alright, get gear flaps, hydraulics . We are clear to land (mumbling). - My parents are concerned about the risks that we take on a daily basis. They always tell me that
there are bold pilots and old pilots but there
are no old bold pilots. So that's kind of their
constant reminder to me to be careful and not to accept unnecessary risk. - [Voiceover] Back at the base, Eric gets a visit from his daughter and pregnant wife. The whole family will soon relocate to the Coast Guard
station in Kodiak, Alaska. - My immediate plans are to go to Kodiak, Alaska. I'm actually being transferred there with my wife and my daughter and my soon to be born son. A good friend of mine said "Eric, you haven't done
the rescue swimming job "unless you come to Kodiak". In Kodiak, the elements, the weather, they're that much more extreme. You don't necessarily
want bad things to happen but you wanna be the guy on duty when those bad things happen. I'm excited about the
harsh conditions in Alaska. The training that the Coast
Guard has put me through is gonna finally come into one and I'm gonna be able to do the job to the best of my ability. I'll leave the worrying part to my wife. - [Voiceover] Located 90 miles from Cuba and south of Miami are
three Coast Guard stations. At the end of the Florida
Keys is Sector Key West. Here, the Coast Guard crews
mainly patrol with boats. The Coast Guard base has five vessels. Two 270 foot patrol cutters and three small patrol boats ranging from 25 to 47 feet in length. This 33 foot long boat
carrying a crew of four men is a rapid and stable machine. Capable of withstanding
35 mile an hour winds it has a maximum speed
of 60 miles an hour. Almost all four crew members are classified boat drivers or coxswains, boarding officers, boat
engineers and gunners. - We got people from all over the country that work with us doing this and the key for us is train, train, train. We need to train team coordination, get everybody on the same page. - [Voiceover] The crew
must continually train in dangerous pursuit tactics. (siren sounding) - Everybody knows their roles before arriving on scene. It lowers the risk. - [Voiceover] They must also
train firing their weapons at moving targets. (Shots firing) - [Voiceover] Check bar. - [Voiceover] Check bar. - [Voiceover] Open fire. - I don't know personally
if I need the risk. It's part of the job. And it's actually probably
the part of the job that keeps me coming to work. - [Voiceover] Open fire! - [Voiceover] Open fire. - [Voiceover] Open fire. - Some things you learn not to tell your wife or your mother. They get a little nervous. - [Voiceover] The training
exercises finished, the crew goes on patrol. They receive a call
about a stranded boater and respond immediately. This boat has run out of gas. - You got a life jacket on? Or onboard your vessel somewhere? - Spread that line. I've got lifejackets. - Just need to see one. Again, I didn't ask all that. I just asked if you had a life jacket on. - You're doing a safety
check, aren't you sir? - After you put on a life jacket. - So you basically wasted my time checking my shit for fun. It's your job. - [Voiceover] Upon arrival, the Coast Guardsmen
immediately suspect something. - That damn birthday
party in Spanish beach but ran out of gas, not bad. - Now what you need to do is come back there and sit down. - Why don't I just get in your boat and you guys check my boat out first? - Actually, that's not a bad idea. (mumbling) Alright, yeah gentlemen? I'm all about America, right. - [Voiceover] The man is intoxicated. This is unsafe on the ocean. - There ain't no goddamn
weapon on this fucking boat. Disgruntled, I'm pissed off. I ran out of gas, I could't get help. When I got help, y'all didn't care! - How much you had to drink today? - How much I had drinking? - Yeah, simple question. - Simple question. How much have you had drinking today? - Had none, yourself? - I had two. - Two? Beers? What kind of beverage? - Two beverages. - What type? - They were alcoholic beverages. Beer, they're in the cooler. Do you feel (mumbling) I ran out of gas, guys. - Come on, jump on board. - That's all right, calm down. - That's all right, calm down. - Notify station we've
got one person on board. - Subject is very disgruntled, possibly intoxicated. Standby for further information. - [Voiceover] This aggressive man has the potential of becoming violent. He must be restrained
for his own protection. - Man fuck this thing right there. You piss me off now. Man I'm fucking legal 100%. Are you gonna tow my boat, man, I'm talking money! Oh my god you guys are kidding me. You guys are kidding me. - [Voiceover] Another coast Guard vessel will tow his boat to shore. - Uh sir, am I under arrrest? - No, you're being detained right now. Sit down.
- Am I under arrest? - You're being detained. - Am I under arrest? - No you're not. - Then let me the fuck go. - Just relax Just sit right there where you are. - Am I under arrest? - You're about to be in two seconds. - Am I in arrest? Am I under arrest? - No you're not. You're being detained for yourself. - No, let me go. - For your safety you're
staying right here. - Am I under arrest? - We're going back to the station. Doing some field sobriety tests. - Where is my boat going? - It's going back to the station with us.
- With us? Oh, sweet. Alright, alright then. - You gonna relax? - Now that you said
something, that's fine. - Ok just relax, alright? - No clue of a motherfucking
thing that's going on. - Alright, so you're not relaxing. - You got my glasses on. - And then we told the vessel where the 5-5 tows the vessel. - No no no no no no. - Trust me, another Coast Guard boat - We're all going the same place. - It's in our custody right now. We'll take care of it and then
you can have (drowned out) - [Voiceover] Good point. - [Voiceover] Can I sit on the floor? - [Voiceover] Yeah sure. - I'm not gonna hurt nobody, sir. I don't like being like this. - [Voiceover] Alright, relax. We're almost there. - Am I under arrest? - We're almost there. Are you supposed to
drink alcoholic beverages with your medication? - [survivor] I can. - You can? - [survivor] Doctor says I can. - Okay. - It's some fucking, it sound like chlamydia. Just pull, just pull, I'm not resisting. - That's right just sit right back down. (mumbling) - Just tell me what you want me to do. - Step right up on those steps. - Grab my jacket. - Ok, I got you. - Pull me up. - Step on that other step. You're good, you're good. Alright, let's walk him here. - [Voiceover] He is turned in to the local police. - We're gonna transfer this case to Florida fish and game comission. They have the capability to prosecute as a boating under the influence case. We're federal, they're state, so we're just kind of button up our end of the deal, give them all our paperwork and they'll take it from there. - [Voiceover] All officers
help train new recruits. One important duty is
to maintain composure while potentially incapacitated. - Chances out in the field, he gets sprayed and the pepper spray comes back in his face as he's spraying so it's not a surprise to him once he gets in the field what it's gonna feel like. He'll know firsthand. - It's gonna hurt. But I have to deal with it, get over it. - [Voiceover] Kui will spray the very irritating pepper spray in the recruit's face. - [Kui] Eyes open. Find your subject. - I've been OC'd! Partner, I need help! - [Voiceover] Kevin, playing the criminal, roughs them up. - Get your eyes open! Charging weapon. Keep talkin. - [Voiceover] Despite the pain, the recruits must learn
to defend themselves. - Get back! Partner I need help! (screaming) Partner I need help! - [Voiceover] You stayed back, you're not the aggressor. Look for him, look for him! - Partner I need help! I've been sprayed! - [Voiceover] That's it, that's it. - Get down, get down on the ground! Cross your ankles put your hands over your side! Get down! (whistle blowing) - [Voiceover] Control yourself. (recruit groaning) - Right here, buddy. Quick brace. Hold your breath, open
your eyes in the water. There you go. Open your eyes underwater. - Fucking hurt. - Open your eyes wide as you can. - Ugh! - [Voiceover] The average effect lasts around 30 minutes. - Ugh! - Other one? (laughing) - I just have to remember to breathe and control myself. So that I can get through it and get over it. - [Voiceover] Is that tight? it's gonna fall down? - No. Maybe. - You're not the aggressor,
you understand that? Ok, Kui. (whistle) - [Voiceover] Eyes close. Face up. Find your subject. - Get back. Get back. - [Voiceover] Guard your weapon. - I've been sprayed. Partner, help, I've been sprayed. Get back! - Guard your weapon. Get them eyes open. - Get back! - [Voiceover] Hit him back. - Get back, get back. - [Voiceover] Loud command. - Get back! Stay back! - [Voiceover] There you go. - Stay back! - [Voiceover] Remember,
you're not the aggressor. Find your subject. - Get back! Stay back! Stay back! Help, stay back. - [Voiceover] Alright
Jessica, throw it down. - Get down on the ground! Get down on the ground. Cross your feet, get down on the ground. - [Voiceover] Not gonna hold your weapon. (whistling) Great! - And you're here. - Ugh! - Open your eyes underwater. Make sure you open your eyes. - No. - I know it's hard, but
you gotta open your eyes. You gotta get it out of your eyes. - Okay. - Better? - Yup. - We have people who don't even, doesn't even bother em. They just wipe it off their face and then they go about like it's normal. And then we've had people not able to handle it at all, they gotta stop the drill completely. - [Voiceover] You did good, over here. Over here, come on. - [Voiceover] On this three day shift, Kevin has not yet dealt with any illegal migrant smuggling cases. Which is unusual for this time of year. And the weather seems
appropriate for trafficking. He will check the computer
for new intelligence. Cuba is only 90 miles south from here. - Looks like what I'm looking for on here, If we've any intelligence
on Go Fast vessels or chug-chug rafts leaving Cuba en route US at this time. As of 10 o'clock this morning, we have a possibility of a chug-chug, a Cuban raft with a
unknown amount of people that left Havana, Cuba at this time. Usually chugs or rafts like that only travel anywher
from three to five knots so being 90 miles away, 15 to 20 hours before they get here. At this point right now we have intelligence on a black Go Fast with white stripes, two outboard engines which is common for the smuggling vessels. So it looks like as of today, the migrant activity
is gonna be picking up. Once the weather lays down like it looks like it is outside today, our activity with the migrant smuggling tends to increase. It has been kinda slow with the weather and that's our job, it's what we wait for. So I'm hoping with the weather laying down that we'll get an interdiction. - [Voiceover] While
waiting for a new case, the crew plays against
other fellow Coast Guardsmen to keep in shape. - Out of all the units, in Sector Key West Station is probably the most competitive. We hate losing. - [Voiceover] It is late afternoon and the men have not yet been called out. Suddenly, the alarm sounds and they're off. (alarm blaring) - [Voiceover] Now, northbound to Owark, 30 nautical miles south of Key West. - [Voiceover] Recent intelligence has spotted possible Go Fast
smugglers nearing shore. (percussive music) The men load up their 40 caliber pistols in the clearing station. These pistols are crucial
for personal defense. - [Voiceover] Standby line four. - It's a adrenaline rush just knowing that we have the vessels and equipment to stop these vessels knowing that in the end
we're coming out on top and we're gonna win. It's the excitement of it. - We'll get in very close, just a few feet from another boat and it can get pretty scary. (radio chatter) - [Voiceover] They spot the suspect boat which speeds off the minute
they see the Coast Guard. - Talon 2-6, Talon 2-6, we're on scene in position 243208149 with a northbound white hall. Two persons visual. (sirens starting) - Soon as you put your
lights and sirens on, they speed up, that's your
max adrenaline right there. - Stop your vessel, stop your vessel. This is the United States Coast Guard. United States Coast Guard. Para su Barko, Para su Barko. Vessel still refuses to stop, step one and step two is ineffective. Vessel's continuing northbound course. - The chance a smuggler has a weapon is very high. And the way we prepare for it is that we walk into the unknown. - [Voiceover] These men
are obviously involved in some illegal activity. - Base QS, Talon 2-6. (indistinct radio chatter) We have a clear unobstructed
view of the outboard engine. - [Voiceover] This calls for warning shots to try to convince the driver to stop. The Coast Guard must do whatever it takes to stop this boat without
harming the occupants. - [Voiceover] 4-1 on target and track. - On target and tracking. - [Voiceover] On target and tracking! - Open fire. - [Voiceover] Open fire! - [Voiceover] Bo aims his
M16 and fires warning shots ahead of the boat. (shots firing) The Go Fast still refuses to stop. - [Voiceover] 41 Ready. - [Voiceover] Now Damian takes position to shoot out the boat's
engines with his shotgun. - [Voiceover] On target and tracking! - [Voiceover] Target
is the outboard engine. Center column. - [Voiceover] Open fire! - [Voiceover] open fire. (gun cocking) (gun firing) - [Voiceover] Check fire! - [Voiceover] Check fire. - [Voiceover] Check fire! - [Voiceover] Open Fire! - [Voiceover] Open fire! - [Voiceover] Open fire! (shots firing) Rock and roll! - [Voiceover] Cease fire. - [Voiceover] The
traffickers quickly realize that they have no chance in outrunning the faster boat. But that doesn't mean the fight is over. Our crew must be on their guards as these men could be armed. - Put your hands up! - US Coast Guard, show me your hands! - Get away from the wheel, get away from the wheel,
get away from the wheel. - I got more people out forward. - [Voiceover] Keep an eye on that one. - [Voiceover] A Cuban family
is found under the tarp. - Just a family. Just a family. - Any weapons? Got any weapons? - [Voiceover] These traffickers
have no safety equipment. This angers our crew who has witnessed too many unneccessary
drownings in the past. - Speak english? - The migrant smugglers in my opinion are the lowest of the low. Most of them are parolees just looking to make a quick buck. They're not prudent mariners. They're some of the worst boat drivers I've seen in my life. I have no sympathy for them. They have no care for human life. - Adult, two children. - Got a knife. - They have no regard for their own lives, the lives of the Cubans they're picking up or the regards for the
law enforcement units that are chasing them. - They had a knife in there. - Once you get the restraints on them, it's a relief. The mission, you accomplish it safely, your crew's safe, the
smugglers themselves are safe and the migrants on board are safe. - Hey, I'm gonna put the
two smugglers on the bow. - [Voiceover] The migrants will
be returned to their country and the traffickers will
be taken into custody. - Step. This way. Sit down right here. - We take risks. There are sometimes where we, you know, you think back and you say "Oh my god, how did I live through that?" And that happens sometimes after a high speed chase, when we'll all be sitting inside the cabin and go "Did you see how close we got "to that guy?" There's a little laugh about it but you can tell sometimes
it's a nervous laugh. But we're all here. - [Voiceover] The United
States Coast Guardsmen are a courageous group of men and women. Whether they work day or night from boats, jets or helicopters. They all work hard in
protecting the public, the marine environment, and the security of their country. (rock music)
