
Help Us Replace Our Salvaged Rescue Raft
Donation protected
Since the day of the flood, our SWIFT water rescue team has been using a commercial white water raft salvaged from the trash to perform water rescues in East Tennessee and Western North Carolina. We have since been assisting in volunteer-led Search & Recovery efforts by ferrying HRD K9 teams down river to search areas along the banks that are hard to access on foot or by ATVs.
The "trash raft" has managed to hold up so far with a few patches here and there to keep it afloat, but it is on its last leg and we are pushing it well beyond its intended use. The entire topography of the rivers we're navigating has changed since Helene, so we are quite literally in uncharted waters while in a vessel that has seen better days and doesn't have the safety measures (D-rings, foot holds, handles and more aggressive bow and stern) needed for this mission.
For the safety and effectiveness of the team, we are humbly asking for assistance in purchasing a raft that is designed for SWIFT water rescue operations in these Class 3, 4 and 5 rapids we are navigating. We will be using this raft for future operations in the Gulf Coast next hurricane season, and would like to feel confident that we can assist our professional counterparts without becoming an additional liability due to not having the right equipment.
Organizer
Danny Wolf
Organizer
Spruce Pine, NC