ST. LOUIS – A Coast Guard airboat crew rescued 1 adult and three children from flood waters in an area south of Harwood, N.D., Friday.
The rescue is part of a mulit-agency operation that is responding to potentially heavy flooding along the Red River in North Dakota. Coast Guard personnel, airboats and aircraft are staged and prepared to assist in this effort being led by the state of North Dakota and the Federal Emergency Management Agency. In all, there are 27 local, state and federal agencies involved.
The Coast Guard has a total of 43 people in the region to support this operation. The resources on scene include three airboats, two helicopters, two Coast Guard Auxiliary communications units, and a 6-person boat maintenance and support team. An additional 21 personnel comprise the incident management team located at Sector Upper Mississippi in St. Louis.
“Our primary goal is to provide the necessary support to the state of North Dakota and FEMA,” said Capt. Steven Hudson, commander of Sector Upper Mississippi. “Our crews will work with our fellow agencies to conduct welfare checks and perform rescues and other critical functions to ensure the safety of the residents affected by this flooding event.”
