A probationary Washington, D.C., firefighter has captured public attention for his selfless act of respect and honor toward one of the soldiers killed in the tragic collision between a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Eagle airline flight near Reagan National Airport.
After realizing that one of the victims recovered from the Potomac River last week was a soldier, Shaun Wathen, a Marine Corps veteran, stood guard over the body for hours until he was relieved by a member of the military.
The soldier was identified as Staff Sgt. Ryan O’Hara, the crew chief of the Black Hawk helicopter that crashed on Jan. 30.
O’Hara was among the first victims to be carried ashore and handed over to D.C. firefighters at a temporary morgue.
Moved by the solemnity of the moment, Wathen chose to remain by his side for nearly four hours, multiple sources familiar with the dignified transfer said.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Wathen joined the Marine Corps in 2015 and has served for over nine years as a helicopter crew chief and crew chief instructor.
He is also a volunteer firefighter and EMT with the Hyattsville Volunteer Fire Department, just outside Washington, D.C.
Ryan O’Hara’s father, Gary O’Hara, expressed his gratitude and shared his wish to meet the firefighters involved, especially Wathen.
“One thing I wanted to say is thank you to all those first responders—the people who sacrificed themselves to jump into that ice-cold water, to go through the plane and the wreckage to retrieve our son,” said Gary O’Hara. “
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The content of this webpage may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written consent of TheSaltySoldier.com.