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Introduction

Whether rescuing a wounded fighter pilot who has ditched in the sea, saving desperate survivors from a sinking ship, or picking up a grievously ill crewman from the deck of a nuclear-armed submarine that can only surface for five minutes, Jerry Grayson has lived a life of unparalleled excitement and adventure.

Excitingly told, frequently funny but also very poignant, Jerry’s story is not an account of just one man’s deeds – it is a salute to all the men and women he worked with, trying desperately to turn tragedies into triumphs.

“The whole world had gone mad. Every helicopter available was coming hurtling out of Culdrose airbase. On the coastguard emergency frequency one after another yacht put out a mayday call asking for immediate assistance …”

Follow the links below to learn more about …

The Book

A jet has crashed, a cargo ship is sinking, three hundred yachts are caught in a storm “Scramble the SAR. You have 90 seconds to get airborne”

The Author

Jerry’s life beyond Rescue Pilot; flying helicopters on James Bond movies, working with NASA and directing an IMAX film; “THE EARTH WINS”

The Rescues

The people, the places and the aircraft behind the stories. The full coastguard narrative from each rescue.

The Aircraft

Where to see the helicopters that still survive today from Jerry’s rescues, and the significant flights of each.

“I don’t ever remember hesitating during a rescue before but I did just at that moment. I would have to ask survivors to separate themselves from their boat, one by one, and jump into the water. The moment they did that it would be up to me whether they lived or died.”

Click the button below to read the first chapter.

 

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