RAFB pilot with three rescue dogs rescues two children in Texas

When you’re a pilot in the Air Force, home is often the next runway where your wheels touch down. It’s a nomadic lifestyle across time zones and air space.

Maj. Mike Medrano certainly has learned to write down his address in pencil. 

He flies the C-5M Super Galaxy transport plane – the Air Force’s largest aircraft. In his 26 years in the service, he has been stationed in Florida, Texas and Georgia. He was deployed to the Middle East as part of both Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

“I can’t think of any base where I have not been,’’ he said. “I’ve been all over the planet Earth.’’

Mike turned 45 last month. He arrived at Robins Air Force Base in March 2022. His tour of duty will end in April 2025, when he returns to his home state of Texas to serve as an Air Force flight instructor.

He lives in Macon’s Beall’s Hill neighborhood with his French bulldogs – Lola, Camelo and foster dog, Coco. 

Two weeks ago, Mike was recognized by the Air Force and awarded “The Airman’s Medal’’ in a ceremony at the Museum of Aviation’s Nugteren Exhibit Hangar in Warner Robins. 

The honor goes to Air Force and Space Force personnel who “distinguish themselves by heroism involving voluntary risk of their life not involving actual combat with an armed enemy of the U.S.”

Because he has no family in Macon, Mike invited a group of friends he met hanging out at Barks N Brews, a popular dog park in downtown Macon.

Barks N Brews is located at the corner of First Street and Riverside Drive. It’s a bit like “Cheers” … a place where everybody woofs your name.

He was pleased that about 15 of his peeps with pups were able to attend the award ceremony. Among them was Johnmella Porter and her 32-year-old daughter, Asia, who was born with cerebral palsy and has now been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Last December, Mike led a drive to help raise money to purchase a handicap accessible van for the Porter family.

So he’s a good guy with a big heart.

As it turns out, he’s also a hero.

The man with three rescue dogs rescued two young people – a 14-year-old girl and 12-year-old boy, who were nearly swept away by waves along a jetty near Mike’s hometown of Corpus Christi.

He was there visiting his mother, Julie, over the long Fourth of July weekend in 2023.  

But a big reason he had gone home was because of an old dog. 

She was a gray Weimaraner named Rexy. She was his fur baby for 16 and a half years. 

“I wasn’t expecting her to live that long,’’ he said. “She had gotten old. She was born in Texas, and I was like, ‘when you go down, you are going to go down in Texas.’ ’’

When the time came to put her to sleep, he took military leave and made the 15-hour drive to Corpus Christi.

“It was the right thing to do,’’ he said. “I was grateful I was taking her back.’’

He met his cousin for lunch on July 5, then headed out for an afternoon of fishing on the south jetty at Port Aransas, located on an 18-mile barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico. He has been going there most of his life.

“When the weather is good, it’s the best fishing in the area. You can catch some trophy-size redfish,’’ he said. “But, when the weather is bad, you don’t want to be out there.’’

It was a clear day, except for a lone storm cloud hovering about a quarter-mile out at the end of the jetty. It was such an unusual cloud formation, Mike took a photograph with his phone.

“I was hesitant, but I told myself I was going to go out there and, if it started raining, I was going to come back in,’’ he said.

He took his backpack and fishing pole. As he walked toward the end of the jetty, he stopped and spoke to two young people. He asked them why they were walking on the rocky jetty without shoes. They said they lived in Arkansas and Oklahoma … and went barefoot all the time.

“I said, ‘Well I’m from here, and I wear shoes because it’s dangerous,’’’ Mike said. “They said they would be fine, and I said OK. I let them be and went about my business.’’

When he reached the tip of the jetty, the currents were strong and some waves were nearly 10 feet high. Mike chose to back up about 50 feet to fish.

He hooked a sea turtle, and was trying to reel it in to release it when he heard a scream. He turned to his right. The two young people had been knocked down and were desperately clinging to the rocks. The young man was battered, bloody and bruised. 

“The waves had picked them up and pulled them out,’’ Mike said. “They were both struggling. Every time they tried to get a grip, a wave would come in and move them farther back … I  knew if I didn’t get over there quickly, one of those waves was going to pull them out.’’

He reached the girl first, grabbing and bringing her to safety. He then wrapped his arms around the boy, who had scrapes on his chest, stomach and back.

 “He was completely beat up,’’ Mike said. “He looked like he had been slammed into something. His shoulder was injured and his skin was purple and green.’’

They were both crying hysterically. They were terrified and trembling. 

“I looked them in the eyes and said, ‘You’re safe,’ ’’ Mike said.

He got their names, ages and their injuries. He called 911. 

The kids had been warned by family members to stay away from the jetty. He asked if any of their relatives knew they were there. They did have cell phone numbers of family members, who were on the beach about a mile away.

Mike helped them slowly and carefully move back toward the shore. When emergency personnel arrived, he returned to the jetty to release the sea turtle. (It had managed to free itself.)

None of the authorities ever asked for his name. He was just a stealth Good Samaritan … with a fishing pole.

He mentioned to some of his friends and family members about what had happened. The next day, a friend texted him about a short article in a local newspaper. 

“It was a story about some random fisherman saving these two kids,’’ Mike said. “He said: ‘Is that you?’ And I said, ‘It has to be.’ ’’

Later, after his identity became known, the mother of one of the children called him. He met with the vacationing family at their motel before they left to return home from vacation. 

In his 45 years – almost half of them in the military – Mike said it was the first time he had saved someone’s life.

He has reflected on that day many times over the past year. He asks himself: “What if I hadn’t heard them?’’ It could have been tragic.

“If they had been swept away, or if I had not gotten to them, they could have ended up miles this way or miles that way, out into the gulf or into the port,’’ he said. “The water is 65 feet deep there, and it is not calm. 

“I ask myself, what if I hadn’t heard them or looked that way?  One second later, and it could have been a different story.’’

He downplayed the time-honored explanation of “being in the right place at the right time.”

“I think it was more being the right person,’’ he said. “Every day in the Air Force, that’s what we talk about. We talk about being ready and being resourceful. We talk about knowing what to do, when to do it and staying calm. I’m grateful I was that right person.’’