Rescue Swimmers Grant Boy’s Wish

(Far left) Petty Officer 1st Class Keola Marfil and (far right) honorary Petty Officer 3rd Class Andrew Bishop. Photo: Meredith Manning/USCG

Mitch Borden/KMXT

Recently, the rescue swimmers of Air Station Kodiak made a young boy’s dream come true. Andrew Bishop, an 8 year old from Woodland, WA qualified to have his wish to become a Coast Guard rescue swimmer granted by the organization Make-A-Wish Foundation Alaska & Washington.

The foundation grants wishes to children who suffer from critical and terminal illnesses.  Andrew was born with a rare birth defect that causes him to be nonverbal, non-mobile, and suffer from seizures, among other complications.

Andrew and his family were flown to Kodiak, where an entourage of rescue swimmers met them. Stephanie Bishop, Andrew’s mother, said they knew this was going to be a special trip right when they arrived.

“ From the minute we got there it was like we stepped into a big family. We were expecting two, three, maybe four people to be there at the airport and there was maybe 20. It was crazy.”

The Coast Guard and Make-a-Wish filled Andrew’s time in Kodiak with all sorts of activities including aquatics training, equipment inspections, and he was also part of a retirement ceremony for a rescue swimmer. But the pinnacle of his trip was being able to go on a simulated search and rescue mission in a helicopter. Aviation Survival Technician 1st Class Nesward Keola Marfil , was Andrew’s rescue swimmer guide while he was in Kodiak. He recalls the moment he knew Andrew’s wish had been fulfilled.

“I just remember we were flying back from spruce cape  and we had just completed the hoist and I was sitting to the right of andrew and that was the point right there when we were sitting in the helicopter and enjoying the view.”

Even though Andrew couldn’t stay with the Coast Guard forever, he didn’t leave empty handed. They gave him a bunch of stuff including his own flight suit, rescue fins, and even a certificate that made Andrew an honorary 3rd class rescue swimmer.

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