GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) - Brian Hinckley has spent practically his entire adult life protecting boaters on the water.

From dangerous rescues to his volunteer service, his dedication to helping others has yet to waver—because the water has always felt like home.

“I stayed for 20 and was with the Coast Guard Auxiliary for 43 years, so I am still playing on the water,” Hinckley said.

Hinckley began his career as a boatswain mate in the United States Coast Guard, where he's led crews, run boats and saved lives.

In November 1975, Hinkley was part of the search for the Edmund Fitzgerald, the freighter that sank on Lake Superior, taking 29 lives. Hinckley and his team searched in the dark, unsure of what they would find.

“Everyone was looking at each other, we didn't know if we were out looki

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