Ft. Lauderdale Charter Company Helps Rescue Elderly Couple In The Bahamas
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FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – Cellphone video captured a loving moment between a couple in their 90s rescued from their damaged home in the Bahamas after Hurricane Joaquin. The 95-year-old man puts his hand on the arm of his 92-year-old wife as they flew to safety after apparently being left behind by a caretaker.
Ken White, Holt Lindenberger and Rob Ceravolo from Tropic Ocean Airways in Fort Lauderdale helped make the rescue possible.
It all started when Ceravolo, the company's CEO, got forwarded a post from Facebook on Tuesday about McField and Pearline Mortimer.
The Mortimer's have been married more than 70 years. They survived the storm but, according to a Facebook post from their daughter, were stuck in the only habitable room in their home on Long Island in the Bahamas.
"As we understood it, their caretaker had pretty much abandoned them at that point so I think any form of rescue coming for them was a relief," said Ken White.
White and Lindenberger flew there Wednesday.
First, they dropped off nearly 2,000 pounds of supplies. Then they worked with some local residents to rescue the Mortimer's, carry them over sand and water and load them onto a plane to a nearby island.
CBS4 was told they were eventually reunited with family in Freeport.
"You could tell they were very grateful," said Lindenberger.
There are other survival stories emerging.
A couple from the Keys spoke to reporters Wednesday about their ordeal. They survived Joaquin while in the Bahamas on a fishing trip.
"It was an incredible nightmare, we tried to hide in the garage, and the garage door flew open and only by a grace of God stuff did not fly out and kill us," said Richard Stansczyk.
Fortunately, Stansczyk, his girlfriend and his brother survived.
Ceravolo said his company is making daily runs to the Bahamas to take water, food and other supplies that is pouring in.
"This has been the most rewarding five days of my life," Ceravolo said. "The fact that we have a team onboard that can do what we've done in the last five days is amazing."
Nigel Baker, a Palm Beach County firefighter who is in the Bahamas working on a task force in the recovery efforts, told CBS4 News that the reunion between the Mortimer's and their children was tearful and joyful and that the couple is doing well.
Tropic Ocean Airways is still accepting donations. You can learn more about how to donate on their website: flytropic.com.