Army National Guard Black Hawk helicopters airlifted more than 200 campers and staff members from Camp Taum Sauk in Reynolds County, Missouri, on Friday, as severe flooding inundated the region. The group, consisting of children aged 8 to 16 and their counselors, had been stranded by rapidly rising waters at the campground along the Black River.
Video released by the Missouri State Highway Patrol documented the tense operation as young campers were evacuated to waiting helicopters. All 202 individuals were safely transported to St. Louis and reunited with their families. Camp Taum Sauk officials expressed their gratitude for the successful rescue, acknowledging the efforts of the National Guard, Reynolds County 911 Emergency Responders, and the local community.
The historic Camp Taum Sauk, a coed camp in Lesterville, has been in operation since 1946.
The rescue operation occurred as a relentless storm system dropped between 6 to 12 inches of rain across central, south-central, and southeastern Missouri. Following an executive order from Gov. Mike Kehoe declaring a state of emergency, emergency personnel across the state conducted at least 351 swift-water rescues. Officials are urging continued vigilance as the National Weather Service forecasts an additional 2 to 4 inches of rainfall, with the potential for further flooding in the already saturated ground.
This event comes just over a year after devastating floods in Texas's Hill Country on July 4, 2025, which claimed at least 135 lives, including 28 people at Camp Mystic.