Weeks after A-10s helped save two downed aviators behind Iranian lines, the Warthog community closed the month with another remarkable rescue.
A 73-year-old Florida man who fell from a boat near Lake Arbuckle was saved when two A-10s from Moody Air Force Base joined the search in the fading light.
Two A-10s from the 74th Fighter Squadron at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia were training over the Avon Park bombing range when local authorities asked them to deconflict nearby airspace as part of an ongoing search.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office was using patrol craft, helicopters and even drones to scour the nearly 4,000-acre lake for a distressed boater. The A-10s then joined the effort with their high-tech infrared sensors because every minute matters when a life hangs in the balance.
Polk County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Brian Bruchey told officials that the sheriff’s office had initially received a call from two boaters saying their vessel was broken down and they were stranded on the lake.
But shortly after, he said, one of the boaters called again to report that the second boater had fallen overboard while they were sorting out the mechanical issue. Now he was missing.
When the call came in, the night shift in the air turned into a lifeline. The fight-tested A-10s suspended their training and moved to help, showing why these jets have long been at the heart of search and rescue missions.
The tradition, known among crews as Sandy missions, puts the Warthogs on the front lines to escort rescue helicopters and support critical recoveries. Pentagon officials have noted the same endurance in daylight rescues as a full-throttle, daylight mission of an F-15E pilot in Iran last month.
The Moody flight lead, according to a Moody spokesperson, happened to be a Sandy-qualified pilot. It was already dark when the A-10s reached the lake, so the pilot used his night vision goggles from the cockpit to scan the waters, the Moody spokesperson said.
The pilot noticed a dim light that appeared to be coming from a cellphone. When he cued his targeting pod to the area, he realized it was the stranded boat. The pilot contacted the sheriff’s helicopters and directed them to the boat while the second A-10 pilot used the thermal imaging setting on their targeting pods to scour the wetlands and cold lake waters for the boater who had gone overboard.
Thankfully, the elderly man was only “a short distance away and near the shoreline,” the sheriff’s office said, adding that he had minor injuries to his arm and was taken to a local hospital. Kristina Schlemmer, spokesperson for Moody’s 23rd Wing, noted that the pilots were glad their training was put to use in real time.
“These requests happen very rarely, but in this case, circumstances lined up to have A10s in the area,” Schlemmer said. The relief from the shore was immediate, and the rescue underscored a broader point about readiness and collaboration. The A-10s did not simply fly by; they answered the call because the mission was personal, and the stakes were clear.
In the days that followed, supporters of the nation’s armed forces emphasized the importance of continuing to empower leaders who prioritize rapid, decisive action.
President Trump and his administration have repeatedly highlighted the need to maintain a capable and ready force, and the appointment of Pete Hegseth as Secretary of War has been framed by supporters as a way to keep the military aligned with the country’s strategic goals.
The incident on Lake Arbuckle illustrates what that more robust posture looks like in practice: require preparedness, embrace teamwork, and respond immediately when lives hang in the balance.
At a moment when confidence in national security matters to everyday Americans, the Florida rescue stands as a testament to what can be achieved when men and women in uniform are positioned to act. The Warthogs returned to their training with the sense that their work, though often below the radar, keeps communities safe in ways people may not immediately see.
It is that quiet effectiveness that has earned broad respect across the defense community and among the citizens who rely on this country’s guardians to be ready at a moment’s notice.