Korean Rescue Endeavor
Bob Runninger and HH-43 59-1558 at Taegu
click on picture to enlarge
At noon, July 31, the alert buzzer sounded on the ramp of the Detachment #4, 41st Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing here at K-2.
The summons was from Base Operations, which informed the duty officer that the Korean National Police had an urgent request for assistance in the evacuation of 27 Korean nationals stranded on high ground in flooded areas some four to 11 miles southeast of the base, The high water was a result of extremely heavy rains the latter part of the month.
An HH-43B “Huskie” helicopter was scrambled at 12:20 p. m., with it’s four man crew, who began sweeping up and down the swollen Kunh-Gang river where the distressed Koreans were reported.
Instead of the 27 marooned persons expected, a total of 43 were removed, three of them women. Of this number, 37 were transferred from gravel bars in the river, and six from partially submerged dredging equipment.
To evacuate those people on the high ground, the “chopper” landed for the pickups. For those stranded on the dredge, a hoisting action was called for.
Of the total number flown out, 35 were considered saves. That is, if they had not been removed, they would have been in danger of being swept away as the water rose, and drowned.
A total of three hoist and seven landing operations were necessary to accomplish the mission, which lasted about two hours and required a return trip to the base for refueling.
Rescue personnel who participated in this humanitarian endeavor were Maj. Edmond O. Lynam, aircraft commander, O’fallon, Ill, Maj. John A. Link, co-pilot, Hinsdale, Ill. TSgt Robert E. Runninger, crew chief and hoist operator, Oil City Pa. , And Sgt. David E Berrio, pararescueman from Yarmouth, Mass.
Sergeant Berrio was lowered from the hovering helicopter to assist in the hoisting operation for those six in difficulty on the barge.
At the completion of the mission the crew reported that it was “…a very satisfactory operation. It went smoothly and no unusual problems were encountered.
(Bob Runninger)
click on picture to enlarge
At noon, July 31, the alert buzzer sounded on the ramp of the Detachment #4, 41st Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Wing here at K-2.The summons was from Base Operations, which informed the duty officer that the Korean National Police had an urgent request for assistance in the evacuation of 27 Korean nationals stranded on high ground in flooded areas some four to 11 miles southeast of the base, The high water was a result of extremely heavy rains the latter part of the month.
An HH-43B “Huskie” helicopter was scrambled at 12:20 p. m., with it’s four man crew, who began sweeping up and down the swollen Kunh-Gang river where the distressed Koreans were reported.
Instead of the 27 marooned persons expected, a total of 43 were removed, three of them women. Of this number, 37 were transferred from gravel bars in the river, and six from partially submerged dredging equipment.
To evacuate those people on the high ground, the “chopper” landed for the pickups. For those stranded on the dredge, a hoisting action was called for.
Of the total number flown out, 35 were considered saves. That is, if they had not been removed, they would have been in danger of being swept away as the water rose, and drowned.
A total of three hoist and seven landing operations were necessary to accomplish the mission, which lasted about two hours and required a return trip to the base for refueling.
Rescue personnel who participated in this humanitarian endeavor were Maj. Edmond O. Lynam, aircraft commander, O’fallon, Ill, Maj. John A. Link, co-pilot, Hinsdale, Ill. TSgt Robert E. Runninger, crew chief and hoist operator, Oil City Pa. , And Sgt. David E Berrio, pararescueman from Yarmouth, Mass.
Sergeant Berrio was lowered from the hovering helicopter to assist in the hoisting operation for those six in difficulty on the barge.
At the completion of the mission the crew reported that it was “…a very satisfactory operation. It went smoothly and no unusual problems were encountered.
(Bob Runninger)
posted by Jim Moore at 2:32 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home