SC helicopters, soldiers heading to help Hurricane Harvey search and rescue

South Carolina has deployed resources to aid in the ongoing search and rescue efforts in Texas after Hurricane Harvey.

Gov. Henry McMaster said Tuesday that South Carolina received a request from Texas for emergency assistance, and that the state’s Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Teams have been deployed in response.

McMaster signed an executive order that places the South Carolina National Guard on state duty in support of Texas.

Each helicopter acquatic rescue team crew includes a UH-60 Black Hawk Army helicopter with four soldiers from the South Carolina National Guard, officials said in a release Tuesday afternoon. They will be partnered with rescue swimmers from a state fire emergency response task force that includes firefighters from departments around the state.

Both available teams will be deployed along with a ground team, which will total eight soldiers and nine rescue swimmers.

"The magnitude of flooding and damage that Hurricane Harvey has brought to Texas is truly heartbreaking, but the heroic action and sacrifice by thousands of volunteers and first responders give inspiration to the nation," McMaster said in a release. "South Carolina stands ready to fulfill any further requests from Governor Abbott and his team."

The helicopter aquatic rescue teams are a collaborative effort between State Fire’s Emergency Response Task Force, a division of the S.C. Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation; the S.C. Emergency Management Division; and the S.C. Army National Guard Aviation Units.

Additionally, in response to a request from the U.S. Forest Service, the S.C. Forestry Commission will send 18 members of its Incident Management Team on Wednesday to assist with ongoing flood recovery efforts in Texas, the governor’s office said. The team will provide organizational structure to help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of relief operations.

This story was originally published August 29, 2017 at 2:28 PM with the headline "SC helicopters, soldiers heading to help Hurricane Harvey search and rescue."