Three Virginia State Police troopers and two Ballad Health nurses are being recognized for their efforts in rescuing over 40 patients stranded on the roof of Unicoi County Hospital in Erwin, Tennessee, due to flooding from Hurricane Helene.
As we previously reported, the hospital was surrounded by floodwaters brought on by the remnants of Hurricane Helene, which hit in late September of 2024.
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Two Med Flight 2 helicopters based in Abingdon, Virginia, flew into Tennessee to evacuate patients from the roof of the hospital and transport them to a nearby field. The rescue operation took approximately four hours, with the helicopters crossing state lines due to better weather conditions in Virginia. The Tennessee National Guard also assisted in the rescue.
On Thursday, retired First Sergeant Jeffrey W. Bush, Master Trooper-Pilot Bryan W. Canada and Trooper-Pilot Jacob A. Culp from Virginia State Police were awarded the “Mutual Aid State Award.” The award also recognized Ballad Health Flight Nurse April Boyd and Flight Nurse/Paramedic Wayne Carroll.