Hawaii Helicopter Crash: Rancho Cordova Couple Jumped In To Help
RANCHO CORDOVA (CBS13) – A Rancho Cordova couple put their own lives at risk after a dramatic helicopter crash out of Hawaii.
For Juan Valerio, the feeling was instinctive.
As he and his wife Alicia and two boys were vacationing in Oahu, about to tour the Pearl Harbor memorial Thursday morning, he noticed a helicopter flying low and knew there was something wrong.
And this 57-year-old Navy vet dove into action.
"[I] ran in there with all my clothes and swam out as fast I could to the helicopter. Thankfully it was close to shore," Juan said.
Dozens started banding together to help as the helicopter was completely submerged.
On board was a family of four from Canada on who were on a sightseeing tour.
"I reached out to grab the mother and locked arm around her arm and I started doing side stroke and swimming towards the shore," Juan said.
That mother screaming out for help.
"Immediately a lady started yelling, 'Please help my son, he's only 15, please get him out,'" Juan said.
Her son was strapped in his seat and couldn't get out.
"When we all heard that her son was stuck under water it was difficult for us to keep our face up," Alicia said. "We [needed] to do what we can for this young boy."
The smell of the gasoline was burning the rescuers' eyes. But one by one they kept bringing the victims to shore.
And finally, after 10 minutes under water, the boy was brought up.
"Many of us shielded him from her vision 'cause he was as blue as a crayon and to me he appeared dead," Juan said.
With luck on their side, Alicia Valerio is a critical care nurse.
"My wife immediately did what she does best, she cleared his airways best she could and started doing compressions," Juan said.
Shortly after, an ambulance arrived. A faint pulse.
"We were all strangers to each other we didn't know each other, but were able to work collectively with each other," Alicia said.
All 5 people on board that helicopter survived. The teen is still in critical condition.
Juan and Alicia's boys are proud of their parents.
"It makes me feel proud that if they can do that, I can do that," Benjamin said. "Anything can happen, any second is precious."
The Valerios were only there by chance – they were supposed to do the Pearl Harbor memorial tour later that day but decided to go earlier.