Into the Storm

A tale of two ships, a ferocious hurricane, and a daring rescue mission—a window into the fascinating world of the elite Coast Guard swimmers trained for the most dangerous ocean rescues.
In late September 2015, Hurricane Joaquin swept past the Bahamas and swallowed a pair of cargo vessels in its destructive path: El Faro, a 791-foot American behemoth with a crew of 33, and the Minouche, a much smaller ship with a dozen sailors aboard. From the parallel stories of these ships journalist Tristram Korten weaves a remarkable tale of the Coast Guard swimmers—officially known as Aviation Survival Technicians, one of the least known and most extraordinary units in the U.S. military—and the increasingly erratic weather that is making their jobs all the more necessary due in part to climate change.
When the U.S. Coast Guard received word that the Minouche was taking on water on the night of October 1, the servicemen on duty helicoptered...