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On January 13, 1982, Air Florida Flight 90 crashed into the frozen Potomac River in Washington, D.C. One man repeatedly passed the rescue line to fellow survivors, saving five lives before slipping beneath the ice forever.
May 25, 2026
On January 13, 1982, when Air Florida Flight 90 crashed into the icy Potomac River in Washington, D.C., a 28-year-old government office worker named Lenny Skutnik stripped off his coat and plunged into the freezing water to save a drowning survivor. His act of courage not only rescued a life but created a lasting American tradition: the presidential practice of honoring ordinary heroes during the State of the Union address.
May 22, 2026
On January 13, 1982, Air Florida Flight 90 crashed into the icy Potomac River in Washington, D.C., and a quiet federal bank examiner named Arland D. Williams Jr. repeatedly handed the rescue helicopter's lifeline to fellow survivors instead of saving himself. By the time the helicopter returned for him the sixth time, he had slipped beneath the frozen water — a selfless act that would make him one of America's most remembered civilian heroes.
Apr 11, 2026When Air Florida Flight 90 crashed into the icy Potomac River in 1982, federal office worker Lenny Skutnik dove into freezing waters to save a drowning passenger. His act of courage created a lasting American political tradition still honored today.
Apr 9, 2026