Members of the North Carolina Emergency Management’s Helo-Aquatic Rescue Team, known as NC HART, rescued three stranded kayakers Sunday afternoon from the swollen Cape Fear River. The trio had gone kayaking Sunday morning but became stuck in the unusually high and turbulent river in the northeastern part of Lee County.
One of the kayakers was able to call 911, but due to the dangerous river conditions, swift water rescue crews couldn’t reach the boaters. The NCHART crews, comprised of two State Highway Patrol pilots and two rescue technicians from the Raleigh Fire Department, were activated. Within two and half hours, the HART team was activated and deployed, rescued the kayakers and delivered them safely to the Cape Fear Fire Department and Lee County Emergency Services. Each of the three mid-20 year old male kayakers was unharmed.
“NC HART is an excellent example of our state’s first responders and military joining forces to save lives in North Carolina,” Governor McCrory said. “The rescue that occurred Sunday took more than training, it took courage and I appreciate the dedication of the men and women of NC HART.”
NC HART is a North Carolina Emergency Management asset which pairs the best civilian rescuers with military and law enforcement aviation assets. Local rescue technicians complete extensive helo-aquatic rescue training and are paired with helicopters from the State Highway Patrol or N.C. National Guard. On any given mission, two or three of the 60 specially-trained technicians are called upon and paired with helicopter pilots to rescue stranded or injured persons. Technicians and pilots train together monthly, rotating training sites so they can practice various types of rescues: people stranded in rapidly moving water, on mountains, cliffs or waterfalls.
Yesterday’s rescue technicians were from the Raleigh Fire Department, but the first responders could have been from any of the 14 emergency service agencies statewide that participate in the program.
Formally established in 2004, the NC HART program was the first of its kind in the nation to implement a regimented training and response program that combines civilian and military resources. Teams have saved hundreds of lives since the program’s inception. Last fall, NCHART crews were deployed to South Carolina to help search for and rescue victims during the severe widespread floods.
Emergency management officials remind boaters to check current and projected river conditions prior to starting any paddling trip. With the amount of rain that has fallen statewide over the past several weeks river conditions can rapidly change. Only the most experienced kayakers should even consider going out in such high water conditions as those seen in the last week.