Chief Petty Officer, Corpus Christi, TX, U.S. Coast Guard
On Oct. 8, 2013, U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer Jesse Meerscheidt observed a head-on collision involving two vehicles on his way to work. One of the cars spun off the road and into the Intracoastal Waterway. The other car rolled over twice and caught fire. Chief Petty Officer Meerscheidt immediately attempted to put out the fire with his fire extinguisher and then broke the car’s window with his elbow to rescue the woman. Unable to free her and increasingly concerned for her welfare, Chief Petty Officer Meerscheidt “bear hugged” the shattered window and removed it from its housing, successfully rescued the woman, and carried her to safety.