{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363077", "U.S. Marine Corps HQ: Marines rescue downed aviators amid Operation Damayan", "2013-11-25", "2013", "2013-11", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "By 1st Lt. Luke Kuper | Headquarters Marine Corps | November 25, 2013 - \r\nMarines with Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152 assisted in rescue efforts of two pilots involved in a civilian helicopter crash Nov. 24 over Manila Bay.A KC-130J Super Hercules assigned to the squadron was returning to Villamor Air Base from Tacloban after delivering relief supplies in support of Operation Damayan, the U.S. military response to Typhoon Haiyan. Maj. Jason Kauffman, a pilot with the squadron, heard a mayday call come through his radio approximately 18 nautical miles northwest of North Harbor.\u00a0 \u201cWe were inbound to approach into Manila \u2026 we heard a mayday call from a helicopter that just crashed into Manila Bay,\u201d said Kauffman. \u201cWe set up in orbit, we got eyes on the survivors, there were two of them in the water.\u201d The crew immediately prepared to deploy a life raft. \u201cThe four crew members in the back got the raft ready to go and cleared all the loose equipment away from the door,\u201d said Sgt. Chris Weins a crew member with the squadron. \u201cOn the aircraft commander\u2019s call, we threw the raft out, and it deployed as it was supposed to about 300 feet away from the (survivors).\u201d The Marines' quick response ensured the pilots did not remain in open water long. \u201cA local fisherman responded 20-30 minutes later,\u201d said Kauffman. \u201cThey came up alongside the raft we kicked out and loaded the two helicopter pilots into the fishing boat.\u201d Representatives with the U.S. Agency for International Development were passengers in the KC-130J, returning from Tacloban to help with relief efforts.\u00a0 \u201c(Operation Damayan) has been a textbook example, it\u2019s a model, of what we can do when we all work together,\u201d said Jeremy Konyndyk, a USAID representative and passenger aboard the Super Hercules. \u201cIt\u2019s always nice to learn from what\u2019s gone right.\u201d Also aboard the aircraft were congressmen Trent Franks (Ariz.), Chris Smith (N.J.), and Al Green (TX), who traveled to the Philippines to observe the relief and recovery efforts of the U.S. military. \u201cIn an absolutely amazing example of military precision, (the crew) dropped a life raft to where the people could swim to it,\u201d said Franks. \u201cIt seems like (Kauffman\u2019s) call sign \u2018Rescue\u2019 was emphasized again. I believe that the military (members) of the U.S. are the most noble figures in human society.\u201d The cause of the helicopter crash is under investigation.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=363077"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8120359852910042, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}