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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Jaimie Ding

AP Interview: Coast Guard swimmer says he fought waves, darkness to rescue 16 people from ocean

Coast Guard Baja Rescue - (Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Strapped into a harness, Josh Law was lowered from a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter into the rough Pacific Ocean in the pitch black night, far off the Mexican coast.

The force of the helicopter blades pummeled the water, whipping up spray and turbulence. The Coast Guard rescue swimmer couldn’t hear anything over the noise or see anything in the darkness. Waves of 6 to 8 feet (1.8 to 2.4 meters) pummeled him.

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