Mike Hudson, a “pillar” of ocean rescue in New Jersey and around the world, was being mourned after his sudden passing. He was 53 years old.
He was known for his larger-than-life personality that included being the aquatic stunt safety coordinator for MTV’s “Jackass” team and for Discovery Channel’s Shark Week.
Hudson was a technical rescue contributor for Fire Engineering and had a recurring column in JEMS. He also taught hands-on water rescue seminars at FDIC International and JEMSCon.
“Chief Hudson was the pillar of Ocean Rescue, a true waterman,” a post on the Sea Bright Fire Rescue Facebook page reads. “His commitment and efforts lead Sea Bright to be on the forefront of modern-day surf lifesaving. We stand together with our brothers and sisters of Sea Bright Ocean Rescue during this difficult time.”
Hudson, a former Navy Corpsman and military special operations medical instructor, was one of the last of the original City of San Diego paramedics. He spent more than 18 years traveling the country leading rescue teams in Wyoming and in the Colorado Rockies and supervising technical ocean lifeguard programs on both the East and West coasts.
During the winter, he worked the streets of central New Jersey and the Jersey Shore as a mobile intensive care paramedic. In addition to coordinating shark diving safety operations for Shark Week, Hudson did the same for the BBC and National Geographic’s Shark Fest.
He also provided Covid containment services for Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” and got Fieri to film at a number of Mike’s favorite “dives” down at the Jersey Shore.
– Fire News story provided
