Blood in the Pacific: The Day a Sheriff Didn’t Die with Casey Cheshier

When SWAT medic Casey Cheshier set out for a routine return trip from Catalina Island, he didn’t expect to collide with a whale at 60 mph — or fight for his life in open ocean. In this raw and riveting episode, Scott sits down with the LA County Sheriff's Department's elite rescue paramedic to unpack a day that turned into a survival thriller. From near-fatal leg injuries to hypothermia, a malfunctioning boat, and sheer mental grit, Casey walks us through how training, mindset, and brotherhood saved his life. We also get an inside look at LA’s elite tactical rescue teams — where jumping from helicopters, diving into bodies, and explosive breaching are just another Tuesday. This is not your average cop story. It’s a blueprint in resilience, real-world leadership, and never giving up.

Chapters:
00:00:00 - Welcome to the Wildest Survival Story
00:00:43 - From Sheriff’s Deputy to SWAT Elite
00:01:08 - Inside the Grueling Life of Tactical Lawmen
00:03:09 - Earning the Badge: No Easy Road
00:04:22 - Five Years in Hell: Jailhouse to Justice
00:08:57 - Boats, Guns, and Deep-Water Missions
00:14:03 - The Day a Whale Nearly Killed Me
00:38:35 - Blood, Bones, and Life-or-Death Decisions
00:39:06 - Floating and Fading: The Body Fights Back
00:40:43 - When Training Becomes Your Only Lifeline
00:41:59 - A Tourniquet, a T-Shirt, and Sheer Grit
00:42:36 - The Rescue Helicopter That Found Me
00:44:34 - Calling Home from a Hospital Gurney
00:48:21 - Waking Up Broken, Not Beaten
00:52:12 - The Painful Climb Back to Life
00:54:59 - Am I Still the Same Man?
01:20:11 - The Heel Bone You Can’t Replace
01:20:48 - Building a Foot with Science
01:23:07 - Bureaucracy vs. Survival: The Compensation Battle
01:33:44 - Physical Rehab and Mental Warfare
01:42:06 - Back in Uniform, Scarred But Strong
01:48:10 - What Comes After You Beat Death?

Links and Resources:

Casey on LinkedIn
Casey on Instagram
Treading Water: Survival and Surviving the Recovery
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Quickly- I'm Scott Groves - Husband, Father, Loan Officer, Coach, Author, Podcaster, and Blue Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I gave up boxing, where I was 5-0 in amateur fights, when I turned 40. BJJ is safer for old men than getting punched in the head :-)

You can find out everything about me HERE: www.LinkTr.ee/ScottLGroves

This podcast is paid for and brought to you by.... by me, Scott Groves :-)

Because I think these kind of long form conversations are valuable, I pay for 100% of the production of this show out of my pocket. This channel is FAR from monetization and because of the subject matter, may never be monetized.

I am a Mortgage Loan Officer & Loan Officer Coach in real life. It's the money that I earn, from helping home-buyers and home-owners obtain home-loans, that pays for this show. If you, your friends, or your family are looking for a home loan from an honest Loan Officer, please contact me at [email protected] or find all my links to connect HERE: www.LinkTr.ee/ScottLGroves

I can do the loan for you (our team is licensed in 8 states) - OR - I can refer you to an amazing loan officer in the state where you're searching. ON WITH THE SHOW!!!

New Full Episodes are released every THURSDAY at 10:00am and clips are released frequently throughout the week. SO MAKE SURE YOU SUBSCRIBE!!!

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