Army National Guard Black Hawk helicopters transport 202 campers to Missouri
NEWNow you can listen to Fox News articles!
On Friday, Army National Guard Black Hawk helicopters moved to Reynolds County, Missouri, to evacuate 202 youth and staff trapped by rapidly rising floodwaters at Camp Taum Sauk along the Black River in the Missouri Ozarks.
Video released by the Missouri State Highway Patrol captured the tense moments as children raced to board waiting helicopters.
The campers, aged 8 to 16 years old, and their counselors were successfully evacuated to St. Louis, where they were safely reunited with their families, the military said.
1 DEAD DUE TO NICE SHOOTINGS IN MISSOURI, WITH MORE STORMS, HEAVY RAIN ON THE WAY
The video showed the amazing rescue of the Hawks in the middle of the floods in Missouri. (Sgt. Eddie Young/Missouri State Highway Patrol)
“We are so grateful for your help in keeping our camp community safe,” Camp Taum Sauk officials wrote in an Instagram post Saturday morning, expressing gratitude to the National Guard, Reynolds County 911 Emergency Responders and the local community of Arcadia.
The combined historic camp was in operation at Lesterville, about 125 miles south of St. Louis, since 1946.
The camp rescue comes more than a year after the Guadalupe River in the Texas Hill Country flooded on July 4, 2025, killing at least 135 people, including 28 of the girls at Camp Mystic.
US OFFICE SENDS MTVRS AID, AIRLIFTS TO VENEZUELA AFTER DEADLY EARTHQUAKE
FILE – Items are scattered inside a cabin at Camp Mystic after deadly flooding in Kerr County, Texas, July 5, 2025. (Reuters/Sergio Flores, File)
Nearby, Bearcat Getaway campground staff shut down their facilities for the weekend and confirmed on Facebook Friday afternoon that all campers and staff are safe and responsible.
The dramatic air rescue at Camp Taum Sauk was part of a large, coordinated emergency response across Missouri after an unrelenting storm dumped 6 to 12 inches of rain in the central, south-central and southeast parts of the state.
THREE DEAD, 7 SURVIVED IN TRAFFIC CRASH AS VIOLENT HOLIDAY WEEKEND STORM STRIKES WISCONSIN TOURIST HOTSPOT
The Missouri State Emergency Management Agency shared photos of the devastating flooding on Saturday. (Missouri State Emergency Management Agency via Facebook)
Following Gov. Mike Kehoe’s order declaring a state of emergency, local emergency workers have made at least 351 rescues across the state.
“Missouri’s first responders once again answered the call with incredible courage, ingenuity and compassion,” Kehoe wrote in a statement on Facebook.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM
State officials are urging caution as the National Weather Service warns that already waterlogged ground could see an additional 2 to 4 inches of rain over the weekend.
