Florida Guard Soldiers rescue family during Hurricane Isaias response

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Eight Florida Army National Guard Soldiers worked together to rescue four family members from a sinking pickup truck beside an Inter… TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Eight Florida Army National Guard Soldiers worked together to rescue four family members from a sinking pickup truck beside an Interstate 10 off-ramp during the Hurricane Isaias Response on Oct. 10, 2026. The Soldiers, assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Battery and Delta Battery, 3rd Battalion, 265th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 164th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, encountered the emergency while traveling in a convoy during a hurricane response activation. After a morning fuel stop, the convoy approached the interstate and passed a pickup partially submerged in water beside the ramp.

At first, they believed the truck had been abandoned following Hurricane Isaias, until they saw an arm waving from the window. Headquarters and Headquarters Battery’s Staff Sgt. Jordan Blair, Sgt. Jonathan Russell, and Staff Sgt. Jose Collazo, all air and missile defense crewmembers, and Spc. Tanner Norris, a signal operations support specialist, were the first to stop. Joining them were Delta Battery’s Sgt. David Vrban, Spc. Adrian Hamilton, Sgt. Terrance Martin, all wheeled-vehicle mechanics, and Sgt. Patrick O’Berry, a utilities equipment repairer. As Blair called 911, the other Soldiers worked together and rushed to free the family from the sinking pickup. “We didn’t have