REVA, the air ambulance company based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida has provided valuable service to storm-ravaged Puerto Rico. The medical flight team has been flying in relief supplies to San Juan and then transporting patients out of the city after it was hit by Hurricane Maria. Now that the REVA hangar in San Juan has been overhauled, the relief flights have been discontinued since Friday September 29.
Efforts Began with Three REVA Employees
The relief efforts began on Saturday September 23 when three employees of the company were flown from Fort Lauderdale to San Juan. Another two employees based in San Juan assisted them. They met a REVA Learjet that was carrying supplies such as canned foods, water, baby formula, diapers, soap, and sports drinks. These supplies were donated by REVA employees and the B’nai Torah congregation, based in Boca Raton.
The medical flight team set up a belt loader like the ones used in commercial flights. They then unloaded all the supplies onto the belt, storing them inside the only storage room remaining in the REVA hangar. This was the first relief supply mission out of a total of four carried out by REVA.
More Supplies Delivered by Medical Flight Team
On Monday September 25, the REVA team flew in to San Juan again with donations from REVA employees and some more supplies by the B’nai Torah congregation. These supplies included flashlights, solar fans, bug spray, and batteries along with basic medical supplies.
The next day, they loaded a dual-prop Cessna 402 with supplies to aid St. Thomas and Tortola in Virgin Islands. After their last trip on Friday, the team will carry out major rebuilding of the airport. The flight crew has also been transporting patients in need of medical treatment out of Puerto Rico and on the U.S. mainland.
