Lenny Skutnik

Martin L. (Lenny) Skutnik III was a 28 year old office worker for a federal agency who acted heroically following the crash of Air Florida Flight 90 on January 13, 1982.

78 persons lost their lives in the disaster, but 5 persons survived due to heroic actions such as those of Lenny Skutnik, who was commended by U.S. President Ronald Reagan during his State of the Union speech later that month.

Skutnik, apparently a humble man, was quoted as saying "I couldn't just stand there and do nothing to help."

Air Florida Flight 90

The day had brought one of the worst blizzards in history to Washington, D.C. At 3:59 PM EST, the twin-engine Boeing 737 was cleared for takeoff and began rumbling down the runway, but ice on its wings hampered its lift. It finally took off but was unable to gain altitude, and at 4:01 PM EST it crashed into the Rochambeau span of 14th Street Bridge complex, plunging through the 1 inch thick ice into the Potomac River. Only 6 persons were able to escape the plane, as all but the tail section was quickly submerged.

The only rescue helicopter arrives

News cameramen watched helplessly from the bridge, being only able to record the disaster for the rest of the world to see. Suddenly hope arrived in the form of a park police helicopter, trailing a lifeline reaching to the outstretched arms of the victims in the water below. At approximately 4:20 PM EST, Eagle 1, a United States Park Police helicopter based at Anacostia Park in Washington DC and manned by pilot Donald W. Usher and paramedic Melvin E. (Gene) Windsor arrived and assisted at great risk to themselves, at one time getting so close to the ice-clogged river that the helicopter's skids went beneath the surface of the water.

As the helicopter crew lowered a line to the survivors for towing them to shore, one survivor, later identified as Arland D. Williams Jr., was still attached to part of the plane. He repeatedly passed the line to others, After lifting and towing two badly injured passengers to shore one at a time, when the helicopter returned, an attempt was made to use 2 lines to haul 3 more, and two fell back into the icy water.

By then one of these was too weak to grab the line, so another bystander, a government office assistant Lenny Skutnik, stripped off his coat and boots, and in short sleeves, dove into the icy water, and swam out to assist her. The helicopter then proceeded to where the other had fallen, and paramedic Gene Windsor dropped from the safety of the helicopter into the water to attach a line to her. By the time the helicopter crew could return for Arland Williams, he and the airplane's tail section had disappeared beneath the icy surface. His body and those of the other occupants were later recovered. According to the coroner, Arland Williams who passed the lifeline to others was the only plane passenger to die by drowning.

Multiple acts of heroism acknowledged

Lenny Skutnik was commended by U.S. President Ronald Reagan during his State of the Union speech later that month and stood to be introduced to the joint session of the U.S. Congress.

Lenny Skutnik and Roger Olian were awarded the United States Coast Guard's Gold Lifesaving Medal, as was Arland D. Williams Jr., posthumously.

Roger Olian, Lennie Skutnik, Donald Usher, and Melvin Windsor each received the Carnegie Hero Fund Medal.

See main article Air Florida Flight 90 for more information about the crash and rescue.