SEARCH AND RESCUE

The Aerial Recovery SOAR Team deployed in support of the recent fires on Maui, arriving on Thursday, August 10th.

The team consolidated and immediately moved to Lahaina, the primary impact area, to join the other first responders in trauma medical assistance, wellness checks, search and rescue, 2D and 3D drone mapping and other tasks supporting immediate recovery efforts
The team worked alongside local Maui law enforcement, fire department personnel, and emergency management coordinators tirelessly until FEMA personnel took site control for final remains search.

The team treated seven patients during the immediate response window, conducted 16 health and welfare checks, conducted drone-based search and mapping of the entire town of Lahaina, established Starlink communication to support search coordination for missing persons, conducted three anti-trafficking assessments, and supported two aid deliveries.

Starlink enabled communication provided to 80+ first responders and local response coordinators.

Ten square miles of high-resolution mapping data were provided to Maui PD, Maui EMS, and FEMA to support SAR, scene reconstruction, and fire incident research.

After exhausting all available support options, the team departed Maui and arrived home this past Wednesday.

Special thank you to the Wheels Up Fund powered by Life Up, who sponsored our team’s immediate deployment travel to get our Humanitarian Special Operators on the ground quickly.