Coast Guardsman return from Haiti, other crews deployed

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Crews from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater returned after spending five days in Haiti providing humanitarian aid after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck the island nation last weekend.

"We've been doing medevacs, search and rescue, and other operations and support," said Commander Brett Walter.

While they were in Haiti, crews flew 100 flights, saved 83 people, assisted 119, transported 185 urban disasters and relief personnel, and transported 6,800 pounds of disaster relief supplies.

"It was a pretty sobering experience, we pulled into numerous remote locations, pulled out all the critically wounded and brought them back to the capital," said Lt. Ryan Stille.

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Crews worked in 12-hour shifts. One of their main missions was to transport injured people in remote areas to Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, to get medical care.

"We're proud but we're also a little heartbroken about what we saw there, but there are some strong people there, there are compound fractures, so much trauma, and they would get in that helicopter and ride for an hour back to the hospital and they wouldn't say a word," said Michael Diglio, an aviation survival technician at U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater.

Another team left for Haiti Thursday morning. The US. Coast Guard is not sure how long they will be there for, but say they’re prepared to help for however long Haiti needs them.

MORE: Efforts underway to get medical care to remote areas of Haiti