HOPKINS, S.C. — The South Carolina Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team (SC-HART) is again in action, rescuing those in need following Hurricane Helene.
This deployment marks a poignant anniversary for SC-HART, as the team also conducted life-saving rescues during the historic 2015 flood.
The SC-HART program is a collaborative effort between South Carolina Task Force 1, under the direction of S.C. State Fire, the S.C. Emergency Management Division, and the 59th Aviation Troop Command of the S.C. Army National Guard, with helicopter units from Joint National Guard Base McEntire in Eastover and Donaldson Center in Greenville.
"We can have projections on what we think the flood is going to look like, but until you actually experience it, it was something I certainly will never forget," said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Will Sirmon.
The rescue operations began on October 4, 2015, and concluded by the end of the week.
"The first rescue was actually done at a trailer park southeast of here (McEntire Joint National Guard Base), and that's where we did about 29 rescues that day," CW4 Sirmon recounted.
For the crew, this mission was made possible by the specialized training they undergo, which exceeds standard military and fire service requirements.
"One of the training tenets is to make training as tough or tougher than what you are really going to experience out there, and that is the model of training that has been kept all the way through since the beginning," Chief Warrant Officer 5 Sean Reynolds explained.
This preparation enabled them to respond efficiently in the face of extreme circumstances, ensuring they were ready for difficult rescue scenarios.
Another hallmark of their success is the relationship built between the different agencies.
"I can't overemphasize the word collaboration," CW5 Reynolds stressed.
He explained that every agency and every person has a critical role to play in conducting successful missions.
"The hoist is operated by the military," he said. "The aircraft is flown by the military, but the rescuers themselves generally come from the firefighting service of that state. They have some incredible training that they bring to the table, and we together train on this machine to make sure that when the time comes, we all know what we're doing."
When asked if they consider themselves heroes, all immediately signaled "no."
"There's nothing extraordinary about what we did, that's what we are supposed to do" CW4 Sirmon stressed. "We were just the guys who were up first to do that."
Their sense of duty is matched by their deep loyalty and commitment to the people of South Carolina.
"A lot of us have been all over the world, doing everything for other countries and other people," Sergeant James Parrott explained. "Whenever you're here at home, rescuing your own people, it makes it a little bit different."
"We were providing a service for the citizens that we live with, work with, talk with, and go to church with," CW5 Reynolds said. "All of that was enough motivation to just keep going. We weren't overseas doing a mission based on objectives and national security motivations. This was South Carolina, and so we had to do what we had to do."