>>> Tonight, an incredible
rescue caught on tape.
A story of a bizarre crime on
top of it.
You have to see this.
Take a look at this.
The U.S. Coast guard was on a
training mission when this boat
capsized.
The crew received a call from
the vessel.
They determind rough waves made
a boat rescue too difficult.
The man was rescued.
After images of the rescue
became public, police received a
call from a port security chief
saying that the boat had been
stolen earlier that day.
Here to help us unpack this,
lieutenant Tripp haze who joins
me by phone.
He was flying the helicopter.
That video is just incredible.
We have other images that were
provided by the coast guard that
we are showing with this on the
vantage point of being on the
water.
It's remarkable footage.
Tell us about this.
This must have been a very
difficult rescue.
What can you tell us?
>> Yes, sir, absolutely.
What I can tell you is, a
complete collaborative effort
across the coast guard and all
responding agencies.
Like you said, you have footage
from the water.
That's because the first on
scene was the coast guard's
national motor life boat school.
This is a complete collaboration
between us, which was the
helicopter crew from the
advanced helicopter rescue
school, national motor life boat
school, local fish and cape,
local sector command center at
Columbia river.
Everybody played their part.
The way everything unfolded is
once the boat was able to give
him a life vest, it was
determined getting him off by
helicopter was going to be the
best option.
None of us expected the boat to
overturn the way in which it
did.
The training and standardization
and everything from the school
that we attend, the whole
purpose of us being there was
for the advanced helicopter
school and training in those
conditions.
That prepared us to execute
that.
>> Lieutenant, we are watching
this.
There's the boat turning over
again, which is just incredible.
Correct me if I'm mistaken.
There's a coast guard swimmer in
the water swimming over to the
boat right before it capsizes
and turns over, and he is okay?
That swimmer is okay?
>> Yes, sir.
That's correct.
That's petty officer branch
Walton.
He was one of the students in
the school this week.
This was his first after being
qualified.
Once we got on scene and the
determinations were made that
the helicopter recovery would be
the best option, we as a crew,
speaking with branch, came up
with a plan.
Our flight mechanic operating
the hoist that night just put
branch down in the water.
Branch made his approach.
What you can see there is as
that wave is starting to break,
the individual on the back of
the boat kind of points up
indicating something big is
coming.
>> Yes.
>> That's when branch dunk
dived.
He popped right up and
immediately got back into rescue
mode and was able to get the guy
out.
>> Wow.
What an amazing survival story
just on that point.
I'm looking at this video.
Before that boat turns over, it
looks like I'm looking at people
on the back of the boat.
Everybody on board the boat you
were rescuing, they lived as
well?
That's an incredible stroke of
luck if that's the case.
>> Yes, sir.
We confirmed there was one
individual on that boat.
That's the one male in all black
that you likely see there at the
very stern.
It does appear like when you
look in the cabin there might be
more people.
Trust me, we had a guy in the
back working a camera like
crazy.
We were able to confirm there
was one person on board.
We also confirmed from that
individual when branch was able
to pick him out of the water.
>> This has to be the craziest
rescue you have done.
If you have done crazier,
please, tell me more.
This is just unbelievable.
>> Yes, sir.
It was unbelievable.
I have to tell you, none of us
expected the boat to overturn
and that wave to break the way
in which it did.
But the training we are
receiving, the standardization
of mixing our air crews and none
of us had flown with branch and
we go out there and do it and do
it safely just goes to really
foot stomp and emphasize what
we're doing and how we can do it
safely.
>> It underlines the incredible
brave work that the coast guard
does each and every day.
You guys put your lives on the
line keeping our coasts safe and
getting involved in rescues like
this where you put your lives on
the line.
A trainee in the water like you
were describing, talk about -- I
hope he passed with flying
colors.
This was just textbook stuff
what you pulled off there.
A team photo we have here at the
end showing you together.
Congratulations on a job well
done.
>> Yeah, thank you very much.
Trust me, the first thing I did
when I got out of the helicopter
was find branch and give limb a
-- him a hug.
>> I bet you did.
And called your loved ones.
>> The second thing I did, yes,
sir.
>> Thanks very much for your
time.
Hats off to everybody else.
Give everybody a pat on the back
for us.