Adam Smith began organizing private helicopter operations after he was unable to contact his daughter and her mother, who were stuck in North Carolina.
He told WRAL News that he drove 18 hours to find them, ultimately utilizing a private helicopter to be reunited.
Since then, Smith has organized Savage Operations Center, a private helicopter mission relying upon volunteers. The operation has amassed 150 volunteers to deliver supplies to those stranded in the mountains. So far, 500,000 pounds have been delivered to those in need.
“The people of Swannanoa, Bat Cave and Chimney Rock are going to be here, and they’ll still be rebuilding their lives and trying to rebuild their homes and trying to figure out what’s next,” Smith said.
“There’s homes that are washed out, people have lost their lives,” Smith explained. “There’s a lot of people left with nothing, there’s a lot of displaced people. The big challenge now, moving forward, it’s not so much the rescue, it’s how do we find a place for the displaced families?”
A GoFundMe page was launched to support Smith’s efforts.
“All of the funds will be used for fuel, water, helicopter maintenance, pilot fees, and getting people out of areas which have no access,” the page reads, adding, “All of the funds are going to Adam Smith (former Army Green Beret) and his company Savage Freedoms, LLC. Adam is overseeing all funds on the ground and ensuring they get directly funneled to the pilots, fueling, and water as things are being purchased.”
At the time of writing, the GoFundMe raised $217,593 out of its $500,000 goal.
