CHESTER COUNTY, S.C. — Wednesday morning, members of Skydive Carolina loaded a plane with relief supplies for residents who are dealing with the aftermath of Tropical Storm Helene.
Channel 9′s Tina Terry spoke with the pilot and several volunteers as they loaded the plane typically used for skydiving.
The group said they have a Cessna Caravan, which is ideal for this type of mission because it doesn’t have any seats, leaving lots of room for supplies.
The plane can also lane in places that are hard to get to.
“There is a mountain that has a lot of horses and cows that can’t reach the field, so they don’t have any food,” said Jorge Alonso, a videographer and tandem instructor. “Today, we’ll discuss filling the plane with hay and doing some drops.”
The pilot and two volunteers took off for Mountain City, Tennessee, which is around 100 miles northeast of Asheville.
They will then fly to Statesville to collect more supplies before eventually ending up in western North Carolina.
The crew said they expected to make up to eight flights.
The owner of Skydive Carolina, Dan Smith, said he knew he had to help when he saw the devastation.
After their first trip, the crew realized people in the storm-torn areas needed things like chainsaws, chainsaw oil, coolers, generators, and caution tape to tape down house doors.
“It broke my heart,” Smith said. “I was born and raised in Asheville and went to school there. I have family there. Some I can’t get a hold of because they don’t have the service.”
Smith said Skydive Carolina will be taking donations for fuel. Residents who wish to donate can Venmo them at Venmo@skydivecarolina.
The group is also taking donations of supplies of water, toiletries, and non-perishable food items that are individually packaged until Monday. Those donations can be dropped off on King Air Drive.
“This --- it touches my heart. It’s something I want to do for my community because that’s where I grew up,” Smith said.
Rock Hill residents can also donate supplies by bringing them to Yonce Motor on Cherry Road.
VIDEO: Volunteers transport resources by land, air to western NC
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