Washington National Airport,

One of the worst snowstorms to hit Washington, D.C. in decades buffeted the
city on January 13, 1982. Storm conditions delayed the departure of Air
Florida Flight 90 by an hour and forty-five minutes. When the Boeing 737
took off from Washington National Airport, it was unable to stay aloft and
crashed into the 14th Street Bridge, which spans the Potomac River, just two
minutes after leaving the runway. The plane vanished into the river except
for the tail section, which had separated from the body of the aircraft and
floated. When emergency services arrived, they discovered 5 passengers and
one flight attendant had survived the crash, and they were clinging to the
tail section in the icy waters.

The waters of the Potomac were extremely cold, just one degree above
freezing. A person can only manage to stay alive in this frigid water for
about 30 minutes. Rescuers were frantically trying to get to the surviving
passengers as quickly as possible. When their inflatable boats could not
navigate through the ice-filled waters, a U.S. Park Police Helicopter Unit
was called. Many onlookers, including a television news camera man,
witnessed the amazing rescue efforts of pilot Don Usher and paramedic Gene
Windsor.

After successfully retrieving a passenger (Bert Hamilton) and the flight
attendant (Kelly Duncan), Usher and Windsor went back and lowered two
lifelines from the helicopter to the remaining surviving passengers. One of
the passengers, Arland D. Williams, Jr., caught one of the lines and passed
it on to Joe Stiley, the most severely injured survivor. Stiley slipped the
line around his waist and grabbed Priscilla Tirado, who was hysterical,
having lost her husband and baby. Nikki Felch took the second line. As
they were being dragged to shore, Tirado and Felch lost their grip and fell
back into the water. Felch was wearing a lifejacket, so Tirado became the
immediate priority of the rescue efforts.

Tirado was slashing in the icy water, eyes wide and wild-looking; she was
going into shock. After several attempts, she was unable to cling to the
life-ring that was lowered to her. By this time, she was traumatized,
exhausted, and temporarily blinded from aviation fuel. She began to drown.

Martin "Lennie" Scutnik, a low-level manager at the U.S. Congressional
Budget office, was observing the situation. At this point, he decided that
he could watch no more. "I absolutely thought she was going to die if I
didn't go in and get her." Scutnik removed his coat and boots and jumped
into the icy waters, swam out to Tirado, and dragged her to safety.

Nikki Felch was rescued by the helicopter unit. Unfortunately, when the
unit went back to rescue Arland D. Williams, he could not be found. He,
along with the tail of the jet, had sunk beneath the waters. (See A Heroic
Sacrifice, Living Water, 9/15/06).

Less than a month later, President Ronald Reagan invited Lennie Scutnik to
attend the 1982 State of the Union Address, where he was seated next to the
First Lady. When President Reagan recognized Scutnik, he received a long
standing ovation. Heroes like Scutnik are now celebrated at nearly every
State of the Union Address. The Washington Press Corps often refers to them
as 'Scutniks'.

The selflessness and sacrifice of the "Scutniks" provide a glimpse of the
Greatest Hero of all: JESUS CHRIST.

When WE were "drowning" in sin and doomed to eternal destruction, God sent
His Son Jesus to rescue us. Jesus gave His life so that we might have
forgiveness of our sins and so that we "should not perish but have eternal
life" (John 3:16; Ephesians 1:7).

Jesus will save those who cling to the Lifeline (Jesus Himself) by....
placing their faith and trust in Him (Acts 16:30-31), turning from their
sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confessing Jesus before men (Romans
10:9-10), and being baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of
sins (Acts 2:38). He will continue to cleanse those who continue to trust
Him and follow Him as a way of life (1 John 1:7).

Won't YOU cling to the Lifeline through your trusting obedience?

David Sargent