On January 13, 1982, Air Florida Flight 90, a Boeing 737-200, crashed into Washington, D.C.'s 14th Street Bridge and fell into the icy Potomac River. 

The aircraft had difficulty climbing immediately after takeoff and subsequently stalled. This tragic incident resulted in the loss of 78 lives, with only four passengers and one flight attendant surviving.

During the rescue, one of the survivors, Priscilla Tirado, was too weak to grab the line when the helicopter returned to her. As she began to sink below the Potomac River her savior was coming. A young office assistant for a government agency, Lenny Skutnik, stripped off his coat and boots and in short sleeves, dove into the icy water and swam out to her. She survived, as did Lenny.

Skutnik’s heroism was widely recognized and celebrated. He was invited by U.S. President Ronald Reagan to attend the 1982 State of the Union address, where he was praised for manifesting "the spirit of American heroism at its finest". Skutnik received the United States Co…