COLLINSVILLE, Okla. — Some say that horses have a way of meeting people where they are.
As millions prepare for Hurricane Milton to do its worst, mounted search and rescue teams are preparing to activate to the east coast.
2 News met one woman preparing her resources to help others amidst total devastation.
Nestled on a farm in Collinsville are horses preparing to deploy to some of the hardest hit areas of North Carolina and then later to Florida.
“You have to have a horse that is very sure-footed, and this particular breed has very large feet and is very stable, and she’s also very calm, so if she encounters any of this rubble or something shifting underneath her feet, it’s very important that she’s going to be calm about that and not be bothered,” said owner Shannon Potts.
As millions still recover from Hurricane Helene's effects along the East Coast, Potts is preparing her horses to join the Pontotoc Mounted Search and Rescue team.
“It’s my understanding that the search efforts are really turning towards mostly horseback or these mule-pack teams because they are just having a hard time getting access to people that are up the mountainside,” said Potts.
Potts is a trained firefighter, EMT, and paramedic and even spent time in medical school.
She said she is ready to use her skills to help those affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
“Unfortunately, even for rescue workers and professionals to see things that are so unnatural for us to see can be very traumatizing, so that’s an important part of me going along and some of the other individuals is to help support each other,” said Potts.
Potts said she is waiting to activate in North Carolina on Oct. 11. Once she is finished there, she plans to put down her horse gear, pick up her water rescue gear, and head to Florida.
“We can go out and do the work all day long, but those images you see, the sounds, the smells, can be really hard,” said Potts.
As millions gear up to have their lives changed forever, Potts asks for prayers as she prepares to meet people on the worst day of their lives.
For farmers, ranchers, and anyone looking to help in the hurricane efforts, Fleet of Angels is a national service organization whose mission is to help equines in crisis when their owners cannot do so.
Their transport angels are on call 24/7 to help provide transport services in evacuation emergencies.
For non-professionals looking to volunteer – Potts recommends going to www.nc.gov.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --
- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices.
- Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- SUBSCRIBE on YouTube
