Have you ever sat at a bar and discovered, simply by engaging in conversation, that the person sitting next to you has lived an extraordinary life? If not, you have a chance to “eavesdrop” on such a conversation through George Cavallo’s memoir, Sharks & Daisies, a recollection of his life as a U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer. 

“This book is a compilation of thrilling and inspiring stories from my time in service,” said Cavallo, who served 20 years in the United States Coast Guard as a helicopter rescue swimmer. He was promoted to the rank of chief rescue swimmer, before taking a commission as a chief warrant officer and serving his last five years as a marine inspector.

Most of us have seen the videos of these brave Coasties being lowered out of helicopters in hurricane force winds into waves the size of buildings to pluck disaster victims from conditions that would take their lives without the help of these selfless heroes. And some Galvestonians have experienced it firsthand, thanks to the wrath Mother Nature has inflicted on the island.

In his memoir, Cavallo takes us along for a wild ride from the shaky start of the rescue swimmer program, describing in detail his participation in rescues that will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up.

The book’s title pays tribute to a maritime rescue training program designed to simulate the challenges of real-life turbulent waters. This exercise involves instructors choosing students at random while they swim in a circular formation and placing them in an unexpected rear headlock.

Cavallo said his story would be of interest to readers who enjoy reading about actual experiences and the difficulties associated with conducting rescues in the open sea; those who “appreciate firsthand accounts of the brave men and women who put their lives on the line to save others, and are drawn to stories of human resilience, perseverance, and bravery in the face of adversity.”

 

After retiring after an exemplary career with the Coast Guard as a rescue swimmer, the author’s life took an unexpected turn that would have crushed a lesser man. Although he was falsely convicted of a crime, his indomitable spirit and strength of character saw him through this dark period and allowed him to reinvent himself as an artist and wedding photographer.

But it was through this rather dark period in his life that he found his voice as a writer—a chapter he explores in his memoir.

“My younger brother committed fraud using our family’s rental business account, resulting in 18 other victims. Despite serving in the military in a different state, I was accused of being involved in the crime simply because of my relationship with my brother. As many of my innocent co-defendants pled guilty to a reduced sentence, my ex-wife and I refused to confess to a crime we did not commit. In the face of a daunting challenge, I found solace in knowing I had the courage to stand up for my innocence and fight for justice,” he said.

“While I was imprisoned for a crime I did not commit, I found solace in writing. Initially, it was a way for me to mitigate the stress of my situation, but as time went on, I realized I wanted to do more than write for myself.”

“I was inspired to craft my stories into a book my son and his future children could cherish and pass down through generations,” said Cavallo, who used the G.I. Bill to study photography, and has also penned a work of fiction titled Camera Flyer, which follows a skydiving photographer who crash lands into a wedding, becomes romantically involved with a wedding photographer, and follows his journey to becoming one himself.

By sharing his experiences as a USCG rescue swimmer, Cavallo said he hopes his experiences can serve as a source of hope and inspiration for others, a way to help readers understand that, no matter how difficult a situation may seem, there is always hope. In other words, rescue from even the most troubling times is possible just on the horizon.

Sharks & Daisies is scheduled to be released on June 24, 2023. The book will be available on Amazon in hard cover and paperback, and Kindle e-reader. The audiobook is due out in October 2023.

For more information about author George Cavallo, visit sharksanddaisies.com, GeorgeCavallo.com, and Instagram.com/sharksanddaisies.