A volunteer helicopter pilot was threatened with arrest by the local fire chief after rescuing stranded individuals on a mountainside in Lake Lure, North Carolina, last week. Following widespread criticism of the hurricane recovery efforts, a city official defended the fire department’s actions, stating they were following protocol. The fire chief claimed the pilot was interfering with official rescue operations.
On September 28, the National Guard attempted to rescue Susan and Mike Coffey, but their helicopter was too large to complete the mission. The following day, private pilot and veteran Jordan Seidhom stepped in to rescue Susan, but was threatened with arrest by Lake Lure Assistant Fire Chief Chris Melton when he tried to return for Mike.
Seidhom, who had left his son, a volunteer firefighter and high school student, with Mike due to limited space in the helicopter, faced a difficult choice. He ultimately defied Melton’s orders to rescue his son and Mike. Despite public outcry calling for Melton’s dismissal, he remains in his position.
Lake Lure Town Manager Olivia Stewman spoke with Queen City News after the incident and defended Melton’s threat to arrest Seidhom. When asked if the fire department’s actions were appropriate, Stewman responded, “Yes. They were doing what they were supposed to do at that time.” Attempts to get a direct response from Assistant Chief Melton were unsuccessful.
Stewman explained that Seidhom’s helicopter was unauthorized and that no prior notification had been given, which posed a risk to the official search and rescue efforts. “The personal aircraft that landed was not only unauthorized, but also, they provided no notification that they were coming. And that did pose a potential risk to ongoing operations,” she said. Stewman also mentioned that there was supposed to be a flight restriction in the area.
However, when pressed by reporter Jody Barr, Stewman admitted that she wasn’t certain if there had been an official flight restriction in place at the time. Seidhom had mentioned speaking with local law enforcement but had not coordinated directly with the fire department.
Additionally, Seidhom obtained fuel from the Rutherford Airport, which was fueling only aircraft involved in search and rescue operations, suggesting some level of coordination.
When asked if the town had any regrets about how Susan and Mike Coffey were treated during the incident, Stewman stood by the actions of the fire department, stating, “Our public safety personnel were doing what they were instructed to do at that time. They were doing their jobs, trying to save lives.”
Despite the contentious situation and the threat of arrest, Seidhom was ultimately able to complete the rescue, reuniting the couple and bringing his son to safety.
