Heroes depart for Irma rescue missions

Coast Guard crews are flying rescue missions in Florida tonight to save anyone in trouble or stuck in the wake of Hurricane Irma.
Crews were stationed in Mobile over the weekend, waiting for the worst of the storm to pass through. News 25’s Gina Tomlinson caught up with some of these heroes before they took off.
Coast Guard service members from across the nation descended upon Mobile over the weekend, a launching pad for one concentrated mission: rescue operations in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. Miami based Coast Guard Pilot Joseph Messina is among those flying out to help those left behind in Irma’s wake. “Many of us are coming from South Florida, so that’s always in the back of our mind, our homes may be affected and our families may be affected, but we’re here now and our primary concern is getting help to the people that need it.”
The Coast Guard rescued more than 11,000 people following Hurricane Harvey. Crews were waiting out the worst of Irma in Mobile over the weekend, preparing for search and rescue missions until the winds were safe enough to fly. Miami based Rescue Swimmer Cory Thrift is part of a crew called to help save lives in South Florida. His job is to be lowered down from the helicopter on a hook. “Best described as a surreal experience. Time really slows down when you’re on it, especially during a rescue.”
With every moment a critical one, Thrift says before making a rescue, through teamwork the crew assesses the situation and then prioritizes. “Because you’ve got 10,000 people, I mean some of them can last for a few days. Some of them are medically injured and need to be evacuated, or med-evaced, as we call it.”
“The mindset is really just to make sure that we stay focused on the task ahead, make sure that we’re well rested and that we remain prepared so that we can respond to anything,” said Messina.
So in every one of the helicopters that are going out, there’s a pilot, a co-pilot, a flight mechanic, and a rescue swimmer, all with years and years of experience to take on a mission like Hurricane Irma. “Forty percent of our flights are training. So, we’re training for this mission every day. So, we train year around for this hurricane to come in,” said Thrift.
“Our motto is Semper Paratus, which means always ready, and we try to hold true to that,” said Messina.