A volunteer firefighter from South Carolina was threatened with arrest after using his private helicopter to help the rescue efforts in North Carolina in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene’s devastation. The incident comes as the Biden-Harris administration has ordered a no-fly zone for private flights and drones in the area.
Jordan Seidhom, who volunteers with his son at the Sandhills Volunteer Fire Department in Pageland, South Carolina, told Queen City News that he and his son went to North Carolina to assist recovery efforts after seeing a post about a stranded family in Banner Elk, North Carolina. After coordinating with law enforcement and first responders, Seidhom said he and his son conducted four rescue missions on Saturday.
On Sunday, Seidhom and his son again decided to help with rescue operations in North Carolina. In the Lake Lure region, Seidhom discovered a couple trapped on a deteriorating driveway on the side of the mountain.
Seidhom told Queen City News, “I originally left my son, copilot, on the side of the mountain. It was kind of unstable, so I didn’t want to put more weight on the helicopter to lift back off. So, I left my son with the other victim. And I was just going to take one person down at the time.”
After landing in a parking lot, Seidhom said a Lake Lure official ordered him to leave the area. Seidhom then explained that his son and the female victim’s husband were still stranded on the mountain.
In response, the official told Seidhom that he could not go back up the mountain. Pressed for a reason regarding why the official was stopping the rescue operation, Seidhom was told he was “interfering” with the operation and was instructed to report to a nearby airport and wait for the Federal Aviation Administration.
When Seidhom again said he would be going back for his copilot, the official threatened, “If you turn around and go back up the mountain, you’re going to be arrested.” In response, Seidhom said, “Well, sir, I’m going back to get my copilot, I don’t know what to tell you.” After Seidhom refused to listen to the official, the fire official was joined by two officers and threatened to arrest him a second time.
Seidhom ultimately returned to his helicopter and was able to retrieve his son from the mountain. However, he told Queen City News that he was not able to transport the other victim who had been trapped on the mountain.
The volunteer firefighter later noted that just after he was threatened with arrest, a temporary flight restriction was issued for the Lake Lure gap, where he had previously conducted rescue missions.
The Post Millennial reported that multiple no-fly zones have been established by the Federal Aviation Administration throughout North Carolina.
