Based on the Crash and Learn 2022 special feature presentation, we sit down with Jonathan Godfrey and Chris Stevenson to discuss the EMS helicopter crash that had a dramatic effect on both of their lives. Jonathan is the sole survivor of a 3-person crew, and Chris was part of his leadership team at the time of the incident. We carefully examine both perspectives and how the rest of us can learn from their experiences.
Read the full NTSB report HERE.
Guests
“A Survivor’s Story” Survivors
Jonathan Godfrey (jgodfrey@peerdisc.org)
Tim Baldwin (baldtimwin@gmail.com)
David Repsher (davidrepsher15@gmail.com)
Josh Duda (josh.c.duda@gmail.com)
Cody Shelter (shetlermedic11@yahoo.com)
“Max Impact: A Story of Survival is the true novel about Jonathan Godfrey who awoke submerged in 38-degree water, strapped to his seat, at the bottom of the Potomac River after surviving one of U.S. history’s most notable fatal helicopter crashes. It was January 10, 2005, at approximately 11:13 p.m., flight nurse Jonathan Godfrey became the sole survivor of the LifeEvac 2 helicopter crash that plummeted from 200 feet, with a maximum impact from the force of speeds in the excess of 140 miles per hour into the ice-cold waters of the Potomac River. The deadly crash triggered a full-scale rescue response and panic in the world’s most restricted airspace — Washington, D.C. The crash resulted in the loss of pilot Joseph Schaffer and paramedic Nicole Kielar, but Godfrey made it his life’s mission to ensure their lives weren’t lost in vain.“