TOP FIN: Tales of Courage and Chaos from a Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer
by George CavalloPublish: Oct 01, 2025Biographies & Memoirs Book Overview
Top Fin: Master Chief Darell Gelakoska’s Tales of Courage and Chaos - When the seas rise and the winds scream, someone still has to jump.
Top Fin chronicles the legendary career of Master Chief Darell Gelakoska — the U.S. Coast Guard’s first Rescue Swimmer — told through the eyes of those who served beside him. From hurricane-force rescues and helicopter crashes to the hard-won humor of survival, this book captures the grit, courage, and chaos that defined a generation of Coast Guard aviators.
Blending cinematic storytelling with raw honesty, George Cavallo brings to life the dangerous world of helicopter search-and-rescue and the unbreakable brotherhood forged in salt water and rotor wash.