Welcome to HUDOceanRescue.org, a tribute to the remarkable life and accomplishments of Mike Hudson.
The day my friend Mike Hudson died, half the aggravation in my world disappeared. As did half the laughs. That was Hud. He was maddening to know, yet a terrific guy. You’re not supposed to make great friends at my advanced age. Mike was a great friend.
At his eulogy I said he was far from perfect, yet the perfect contradiction. He was a paramedic who hated hospitals. He did Covid containment for television production, including Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, yet didn’t believe in vaccinations. He was a man of action, who also happened to be the best writer I ever read. He was a made-to-order, bottom-feeding, unmade bed force of nature, and maybe the most interesting person I ever met. When he passed, we were all crushed. Now, we simply miss him every day.
HUDOceanRescue.org is meant to be an open-source repository of Hud’s work, a place where friends of Mike can come to reflect, learn, laugh, and maybe shed a tear. You’ll find videos, podcasts, Hud’s articles, and more. We encourage you to participate. Please send us your videos or tales of Hud. His life was remarkable, and so were his friends. Mike collected people, from all of his different careers…Dive Safety Medic on Discovery Shark Week Productions, Ocean Rescue Chief in Sea Bright, NJ, Covid Containment Specialist/Entrepreneur, and teller of “you won’t believe” seriously true tall tales.
So look around, learn and be entertained by the irreplaceable Mike Hudson. Please, send us your photos, videos and memories that honor “The Last Genuine Article”. And spread the word, so HUD will always live with us here.
Rob Maloney
Here’s Mike’s Bio.
Like the rest of his life, it’s incomplete, but pretty great: Originally
from Colorado, Mike Hudson dedicated his life to the service of others. He was a former Navy Hospital Corpsman, San Diego City EMT-P, military special operations medical instructor, Denver City and County Paramedic, and Rocky Mountain Flight Paramedic. He worked as a lifeguard on beaches all across the country and served as a lead dive safety expert and remote medical specialist on Discovery’s Shark Week. In the wake of Covid-19, Mike used his expertise as a Covid Containment Specialist on television productions featuring celebrities such as Guy Fieri. Settling in New Jersey, Hudson worked as a street-level MICP and EMS educator. He wrote articles for Fire Engineering and JEMS (Journal of Emergency Medicine). He also served as the Ocean Rescue Lifeguard Captain in Sea Bright, New Jersey where he commanded a USLA-certified ocean and swift water lifeguard program which served two municipalities. He also produced a nationally recognized public safety/technical rescue podcast aptly titled “Lifeguards 10-8.” He was an ocean water rescue specialist, mentor, waterman, and great friend.
