Aquatic training exercise to begin Tuesday in Charleston waterways

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – A multi-agency aquatic training exercise will begin Tuesday in Charleston.

During the three-day training, the South Carolina-Helicopter Aquatic Team (SC-HART) will conduct search and rescue simulations near the Stono River and Charleston Harbor with personnel from local, state, and federal agencies.

Officials with U.S. Coast Guard Sector Charleston say residents living on James Island, Johns Island, and surrounding communities can expect a large presence of law enforcement and military personnel using military air assets and rescue boats.

The second annual training exercise starts Tuesday, June 4, and goes through Thursday, June 6.

The program brings together trained professional rescuers from the State Urban Search and Rescue Task Force (SC-TF1) and highly trained pilots and crew members from the Army National Guard to form a cohesive unit capable of performing rescue using the UH-60 Black Hawk and LUH 72 Lakota helicopters, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.