Editor:
We would like to thank the various helicopter companies who responded to many local communities during the recent flooding emergency.
Companies include Alpine Helicopters, Mustang Helicopters, Elbow River Helicopters, Kananaskis Mountain Helicopters, Arrow Helicopters and the Department of National Defence.
They all helped with transporting food, medical supplies and stranded people in places ranging from Banff National Park to the High River area. The Alpine helicopter hangar in Canmore took on extensive flood damage and pilots and maintenance staff were forced to move operations outside to the Canmore Nordic Centre during the storm.
Some of their pilots and staff were dealing with flooding or evacuations of their own homes in Canmore and were still going to work each day to get these essential jobs done, including very technical long line rescues of critically stranded people.
With many of the surrounding roads closed or washed out, these air services were vital to rescue and supply capabilities.
Parks Canada Visitor Safety team
Kananaskis Public Safety team
