On November 6, Customs San Angelo Aviation Branch rescued 10 men on a hunting trip near Sonora, Texas. When flooding washed out roads leading to the Rancho De Vega Hunting Lodge, the hunters were stranded. Two days before the rescue, they had tried to leave the lodge but were unsuccessful due to the depth of water, which was 3- to 4-feet deep and 50 feet wide. Complicating the matter, one of the stranded hunters needed medication for his kidney transplant.

Photo Credit: James Tourtellote

Blackhawk helicopter on rescue mission.

When RAIC James Coleman of Customs San Angelo Aviation Branch was contacted requesting assistance, he immediately deployed a UH-60 Blackhawk to the hunting lodge. "This is a hilly area," recalls Coleman, "and whenever there is a heavy rain, it causes flooding and makes this area dangerous."

The rescue effort of the party took approximately three hours to coordinate and involved Customs pilots Mitchell Brininstool, Kenny Seaman, Operations Officer Stephen Keim, and Coleman. The hunters only had a cell phone with which to communicate, and could not reach the Blackhawk as it searched for a landing spot. The Blackhawk had to make two trips to secure the men and return them to safety.

Among others rescued from the hunting lodge were Louisiana State Senator Craig Romero; Raymond Cordona, Executive Assistant to U.S. Senator John Breaux; and the mayor and district attorney from Lafayette, Louisiana.