Two embarked MH-60R helicopters from the Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 73 based in San Diego, helped stranded residents of Kaikoura, New Zealand following a 7.8-magnitude earthquake in the region on Monday, according to the Navy.
Sailors used the helicopters, stationed on the USS Sampson, to fly ashore Nov. 18 to assist in the earthquake relief efforts, said Navy officials.
They rode the ship’s helicopters from USS Sampson off the coast, with backgrounds in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, damage control and medical treatment, said Navy officials. They departed in waves to eagerly offer their help to victims of the devastating earthquake.
“While some Sailors set up a food distribution center in an elementary school, others delivered toilets with self-contained sewage systems to homes without plumbing to alleviate the sewage issue,” said Lt. Lee Shewmake, Chief Engineer aboard Sampson, in a statement, the officer who led U.S. Sailors ashore.
Some of the Sailors went door-to-door with informational pamphlets to help residents learn about all their available resources, with instructions from Shewmake, said Navy officials.
“This morning, I accompanied Mayor Winston Gray on an aerial tour of his town in one of the helicopters assigned to Sampson,” said Cmdr. Tim LaBenz, Sampson’s commanding officer, in a statement. “While viewing sobering images of widespread infrastructural damage, I was also reminded and encouraged by the sight of my Sailors going ashore with an unwavering can-do spirit that assures me we are doing our part in supporting the New Zealand forces.”
Although the situation is now stable in Kaikoura, many remain without power and running water due to the widespread destruction of infrastructure, according to the Navy.