U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel and operational assets continue to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for response and relief operations across Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
New footage has been released of a CBP Air and Marine Operations UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crew conducting search and rescue operations in the mountains over Puerto Rico.
The crew was able to land the Black Hawk on a mountain top and trek down a road that had been swept away by a landslide. An Air and Marine Emergency Medical Services paramedic was able to assess the family members in medical distress. The AMO EMT was able to stabilize the three patients before departing the mountain top on another rescue mission.
U.S. Border Patrol Search Trauma and Rescue (BORSTAR) agents and Office of Field Operations Special Response Team officers are on the ground in Puerto Rico supporting emergency responders and helping those impacted.
Reuters: Puerto Rico’s medical services are in critical condition in the wake of Hurricane Maria. The strongest storm to hit the island in decades has left hospitals flooded, strewn with rubble and dependent on diesel generators to keep the neediest patients alive.
