News

Swiftwater rescue team races Down East to aid Debby's victims

A swiftwater rescue team loads a truck for deployment to Bladen County in Eastern N.C.

By Lightning Reports, Published: August 6, 2024

Henderson County's swiftwater rescue team has deployed to Eastern North Carolina to assist with the response to Tropical Storm Debby, which has drenched some areas with up to 10 inches of rain.

Tim McFalls“The Henderson County Technical Rescue team has been activated by the state of North Carolina to supply a swiftwater team to help the citizens out in Eastern North Carolina,” Rescue Squad Chief Tim McFalls said in a video news release by county communications chief Mike Morgan. “We'll be sending 18 people made up of EMS and local fire departments and the rescue squad going down as part of this team. So we'll have a team of four boat teams that will go out and help evacuate people, check houses, get resources where they need to go. Whatever the locals need we'll be helping them with that. Departments from the East came up to help us with the fire (in Edneyville last year). So now we're going down to the east to help them with their floods and hurricane.”

Agencies represented include Blue Ridge Fire and Rescue, Henderson County Emergency Management, Henderson County Rescue Squad, Henderson County EMS, Hendersonville Fire Department, Mountain Home Fire & Rescue and Valley Hill Fire & Rescue. The rescue teams were initially deployed to Bladen Court south of Fayetteville.