"That Person Is Going Down!" — The Ordinary Government Clerk Who Dove into the Frozen Potomac: The Story of Lenny Skutnik
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