| 1 | 1 | | H.R. No. 1606 |
|---|
| 2 | 2 | | |
|---|
| 3 | 3 | | |
|---|
| 4 | 4 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
|---|
| 5 | 5 | | WHEREAS, The brave and expert actions of U.S. Coast Guard |
|---|
| 6 | 6 | | Petty Officer James M. Russell of Harlingen resulted in the rescue |
|---|
| 7 | 7 | | of 24 people during Hurricane Ike; and |
|---|
| 8 | 8 | | WHEREAS, Petty Officer Russell served as the flight mechanic |
|---|
| 9 | 9 | | on CGNR 6512 from September 12 through 14, 2008; initially |
|---|
| 10 | 10 | | dispatched to Bolivar Peninsula, he found seven people trapped on a |
|---|
| 11 | 11 | | pickup truck amid Ike's harsh winds and pounding storm surge; |
|---|
| 12 | 12 | | thanks to his skilled hoisting and concise conning commands, he was |
|---|
| 13 | 13 | | able to deliver a rescue swimmer directly into the bed of the truck, |
|---|
| 14 | 14 | | and when a wave knocked the rescue swimmer and a survivor into the |
|---|
| 15 | 15 | | water, he quickly slackened the cable to provide them safe maneuver |
|---|
| 16 | 16 | | before lifting them into the cabin; and |
|---|
| 17 | 17 | | WHEREAS, While the storm continued to threaten the Texas |
|---|
| 18 | 18 | | coast, Petty Officer Russell successfully retrieved an injured |
|---|
| 19 | 19 | | woman from an obstacle-ridden street and went on to pick up another |
|---|
| 20 | 20 | | 13 people; he subsequently worked with a rescue swimmer to save |
|---|
| 21 | 21 | | three survivors from the patio of a home, again demonstrating his |
|---|
| 22 | 22 | | exceptional hoisting proficiency, and he then aided in the medical |
|---|
| 23 | 23 | | evacuation of an elderly woman; and |
|---|
| 24 | 24 | | WHEREAS, Exemplifying the highest ideals of the United States |
|---|
| 25 | 25 | | Coast Guard, James Russell distinguished himself through his swift, |
|---|
| 26 | 26 | | sure, and courageous response to Hurricane Ike, and he is indeed |
|---|
| 27 | 27 | | deserving of his fellow citizens' deepest respect and appreciation; |
|---|
| 28 | 28 | | now, therefore, be it |
|---|
| 29 | 29 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas |
|---|
| 30 | 30 | | Legislature hereby commend Petty Officer James M. Russell for his |
|---|
| 31 | 31 | | lifesaving rescue efforts during Hurricane Ike and extend to him |
|---|
| 32 | 32 | | sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it further |
|---|
| 33 | 33 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
|---|
| 34 | 34 | | prepared for Petty Officer Russell as an expression of high regard |
|---|
| 35 | 35 | | by the Texas House of Representatives. |
|---|
| 36 | 36 | | Rios Ybarra |
|---|
| 37 | 37 | | ______________________________ |
|---|
| 38 | 38 | | Speaker of the House |
|---|
| 39 | 39 | | I certify that H.R. No. 1606 was adopted by the House on May |
|---|
| 40 | 40 | | 4, 2009, by a non-record vote. |
|---|
| 41 | 41 | | ______________________________ |
|---|
| 42 | 42 | | Chief Clerk of the House |
|---|