Black Hawks Blitz Camp—What Forced 202 Airlifts

Military helicopters fly low over a rural farm at sunset

Eight Army National Guard Black Hawk helicopters airlifted 202 children and camp counselors to safety after severe flash flooding cut off a Missouri summer camp — and every single person made it out alive.

Story Snapshot

The Missouri National Guard flew 202 campers and counselors out of flooded Camp Taum Sauk on Friday, July 10, using eight UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters.
About 35 crew members took part in the airlift, flying evacuees to Arcadia Valley Elementary School where families were waiting.
Six to twelve inches of rain fell across southeast Missouri, cutting off the camp and triggering a state of emergency declared by Governor Mike Kehoe.
All staff and campers were confirmed safe, with no injuries reported during the evacuation.

Floodwaters Trap Over 200 at Camp Taum Sauk

Heavy rain slammed southeast Missouri on Friday, dropping six to twelve inches of water across the region in a matter of hours. The Black River rose fast, cutting off Camp Taum Sauk near Lesterville in Reynolds County. Roads washed out and the camp became an island. With no way in or out by land, the children and their counselors were stranded and waiting for help.

Governor Kehoe declared a state of emergency and activated the Missouri National Guard. Eight UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, staffed by about 35 crew members, flew into the flooded area to begin the evacuation. The crews made multiple trips, lifting groups of campers and counselors out of the rising water. Officials confirmed the final count at 202 people rescued — every one of them brought out safely.

Families Reunited at Local School

The Guard flew all evacuees to Arcadia Valley Elementary School, just miles from the camp. First responders met them on the ground. Parents and family members gathered at the school, and one by one, children were reunited with their families. One parent told local news, “You never think it will be your kid,” describing the relief of seeing their child walk off the helicopter safe and sound.

Governor Kehoe praised the response in an official press release, calling out the National Guard crew members by name for their quick action. ABC News, PBS NewsHour, and the Associated Press all confirmed the evacuation details, matching the numbers in the governor’s statement. The operation stands as one of the largest single helicopter rescues from a civilian location in Missouri’s recent history.

Missouri Flooding Broader Than One Camp

The camp rescue was the most dramatic moment in a much wider disaster. Missouri officials reported close to 100 water rescues across the region on Saturday alone. The storm moved from southwest to east, dumping between three and nine inches of rain across a broad stretch of the state. At least one person died in the flooding, and one person remained missing as of Saturday, according to the Associated Press.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Boone County Fire Protection District Deploys Specialty Teams to Assist Historic Flooding Response in Reynolds, and Iron Counties.

BOONE COUNTY, Mo. — July, 11th 2026 — The Boone County Fire Protection District (BCFPD) deployed multiple specialty… pic.twitter.com/TNp9cCX5JU

— Boone County Fire (@BooneCountyFire) July 11, 2026

Early social media reports put the number of people rescued at “over 150,” which caused some confusion before the governor’s office released the confirmed figure of 202. The discrepancy is common in fast-moving disaster situations, where early field counts often differ from final official tallies. The core facts — the helicopters, the camp, the safe evacuation — were never in dispute and were confirmed by multiple independent news outlets.

A Rare Government Win Worth Noting

Stories about government failure are easy to find. This one is different. When the flooding hit and roads washed away, the Missouri National Guard moved fast. Thirty-five crew members flew eight helicopters into a dangerous situation and brought out every single person alive. No bureaucratic delay. No political argument. Just trained people doing their jobs under pressure. That is exactly what Americans on both sides of the aisle expect their government to be capable of — and it delivered.