The Association for Rescue at Sea’s 2025 Chairman’s Award is awarded to U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliarist Jason Leck, of Auxiliary Flotilla 8-5, in recognition of his actions that resulted in rescuing a person in distress in Brigantine, New Jersey, on the night of June 25, 2024.
Just before midnight on the night of the rescue, Leck and his wife, Tina, were awakened by their neighbor frantically yelling that someone was in the water, drowning and screaming for help. Leck asked his neighbor if she had called 911 and she responded, “No, I came here because you are in the Coast Guard and would know what to do!”
The Leck’s immediately ran back into the house, called 911, then proceeded to the boat dock and prepared to get underway.
The cloud coverage was heavy, providing limited light over the water. Auxiliarist Leck notified the Coast Guard of the situation and that they were enroute to a person in the water. Auxiliarist Leck began a search pattern based on where his boat left the dock and where they could hear the frantic yelling. After several passes Auxiliarist Leck was able to locate the victim, brought his boat alongside and threw the person a life ring.
Using a line and the life ring, Leck was able to bring the person approximately 50 yards to the dock where local fire, emergency medical services and police were waiting to assist. They pulled the victim safely from the water because he was unable to pull himself out.
The AFRAS Chairman’s Award was established in 2014 and is awarded to a U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliarist, or a team of Coast Guard Auxiliarists. A life must be in peril of being lost, whether at sea, on a river, or a lake, and the Auxiliarist, or team, must have had a direct impact on saving the life or attempting to save the life in peril — from a watercraft, from land, or a pier, wharf or jetty connected to dry land.
