Texas attorney buys hovercraft to help with flood rescues

Retirement planning has taken an interesting turn for Myall Hawkins, an intellectual property attorney in Houston, Texas. Two major factors played an important role in that turn:

 1) The dramatically rising risk of flooding and 2) The effectiveness of Neoteric Hovercraft in flood rescue operations.

Myall says, “I’m 64 and gearing up for what I want to do when I retire. So I thought, how can I help others? In recent years we’ve had major catastrophic floods in Texas, and predictions say we’re facing even more flooding and it will be more severe. So my thoughts turned to how I might provide assistance.”

He’s absolutely correct. The National Oceanographic & Atmospheric Association reports that 2019 was a record-breaking year of flooding and they expect that every year for decades to come will break the record over and over again.

What led Myall Hawkins to hovercraft?

Myall explains, “I live in a gulf county and from any storm coming in from the gulf coast, we’re going to be impacted first. Our first responders get overloaded. In 2017 with Hurricane Harvey, the Cajun Navy came in. Our Louisiana neighbors came in with flat bottom boats, airboats, cruisers, whatever they could.

“I became interested in how I could help. I bought an inflatable boat that’s good for some flooding events. But when I talked to first responders, they had plenty to say about the problems with boats in flood rescues, the main one being that outboard motors and propellers are easily damaged or lost. During Harvey, boats capsized and rescuers had to be rescued. 

“And most flooding is residential, so you often have one neighborhood under several feet of water, the next neighborhood may have hardly any, and in between the two are dry streets. So if you had a boat, you could only go so far.

“So I started researching flood rescue equipment that can handle swift water, shallow and deep flood water, and transition between grass, mud, sand, water and other surfaces – and came across hovercraft. I didn’t know anything about them, so I started searching online. There were different hovercraft companies out there, but I quickly learned that most first responders use Neoteric rescue hovercraft.”

Why a Neoteric hovercraft?

His next question was why most fire departments and rescue agencies choose Neoteric hovercraft. He says, “I discovered it’s because it’s the lightest weight. It’s got the highest horsepower. And it’s got reverse thrust, giving it maneuverability that’s just phenomenal. You can brake, turn, fly backwards, hover in place and fly easily right up to victims. No other hovercraft can do all that.”

After his thorough research, Myall purchased a pre-owned 6-passenger Neoteric rescue hovercraft. His first step after that was to undergo flight and maintenance training at Neoteric. “I would never operate a hovercraft without proper training,” he says. “That would be really foolish.”

Here, Myall learns to fuel his hovercraft as he begins his flight training with Neoteric President Chris Fitzgerald at the Wabash River in Terre Haute, Indiana …

Myall’s training was his first experience in a hovercraft. His reaction? “Flying a Neoteric is phenomenal! You definitely don’t experience its capabilities until you get out on the hovercraft. You can read about it, you can see a video and that’s nice, but then you fly it yourself and oh, yeah, I can just imagine what we can do with this. It definitely is a performance machine.”

One aspect Myall noted was the hovercraft’s easy transition between different surfaces. “We went down the boat ramp and onto the water at a decent speed and you don’t feel the transition at all – it’s completely smooth – even going sideways. I was really surprised.” …

Back at Neoteric headquarters after successfully completing his flight training, Myall (left) receives his certification from President Chris Fitzgerald ...

What comes next?

After Hurricane Harvey, Myall reports that many civilians in Texas have come together to assist in flood rescue efforts, and he plans to join them. Numerous websites have been set up where these volunteers can list their equipment, their training, their location, and what they can do, then first responders call on them for help.

In the meantime, Myall explains, “My hovercraft was built in 2011. My next step is to have Neoteric upgrade it with current rescue features. I’ve told Chris I don’t want it quickly, I want it right, so whatever it needs, let’s do it. Then I’ll have it shipped to me in Texas.”

“Now that I’ve finished my initial standard training,” he says, “when the hovercraft is shipped to me, I’ll get more hours of experience in it, then come back for second level rescue training. So that’s my goal: get hours on the craft, get very comfortable with its operation, undergo rescue training and hopefully help save lives in future flooding.”

And a side benefit is that when Myall's hovercraft is not in use as a flood rescue vehicle, he can always enjoy it as a recreational hovercraft for river cruising, fishing and much more!

The importance of hovercraft in the future

There are few places on Earth where flooding is not a growing concern. Flooding is the #1 natural disaster in the United States, and of all U.S. weather-related disasters, floods are the main cause of death. The National Weather Service reports that 2019 was the wettest year in recorded history - 124 years -  and the frequency and intensity of floods will continue to increase.

Hovercraft are a critical rescue apparatus for flood rescue operations. As Myall Hawkins – along with first responders in more than 50 nations - have recognized, the Neoteric rescue hovercraft, with its exclusive patented reverse thrust, greatly tops the maneuverability of other hovercraft on the market. It performs safely in debris-filled, shallow, fast-flowing flood water and allows rapid up-close access to victims while keeping first responders above the danger – not in it.

The Mansfield Fire Department in Texas, who operates a Neoteric rescue hovercraft, sums it up quite accurately:  “The benefit of having the hovercraft is we do not have to send our personnel into the water to retrieve victims. It can also hover over logs, car tires and any other debris, unlike boats that could be a hazard in flood water. A hovercraft is the answer to a faster rescue – a safer rescue.”

FIRST RESPONDERS:

Experience first-hand what a Neoteric hovercraft can do for you:

Take a Test Flight or Flight Training Course

Brownstown Fire Department performs record-setting hovercraft flood rescues

Have you ever questioned the importance of hovercraft flight training? If so, you need to read this amazing story of Indiana’s Brownstown Volunteer Fire Department’s recent flood rescues.

In Neoteric’s more than half a century in business, never has a fire department gone immediately from hovercraft flight training to performing a series of successful high-risk floodwater rescues. In fact, our training protocol strongly recommends that each pilot, after training, has a minimum of 5 hours of practice flying their hovercraft before carrying passengers. But when lives are at risk, dedicated first responders sometimes have to break protocol …

Brownstown Fire Department at first considered buying an airboat for their water rescue operations. Then they saw a Neoteric rescue hovercraft in action at FDIC International (Fire Department Instructors Conference) and immediately recognized the advantages of a hovercraft with reverse thrust over an airboat.

Last Saturday, Brownstown Fire Chief Travis McElfrish and three of his first responders came to Neoteric to pick up their new hovercraft and undergo flight training. Here, Chief McElfresh (4th from left) and his crew receive their pilot certifications from Neoteric President Chris Fitzgerald (3rd from left) and Flight Instructor Steve Stafford (5th from left) …    

    

Here’s what happened next, in Chief McElfresh’s own words …

“On June 15th our Fire Department traveled to Neoteric Hovercraft in Terre Haute to pick up our new hovercraft. We spent the day on the Wabash River training to operate our new hovercraft.

“We arrived back at the station around 11:45 that night. Little did we know that only 3 hours later we would be launching our hovercraft on its first rescue, where we were able to successfully rescue a young man stranded in floodwaters caused by the nearly 7 inches of rain we had received in 2 days … while we were still receiving heavy downpours.

“Another call came out at noon on the 16th. We were en route to check a vehicle that was totally submerged in floodwaters. But we were diverted from this call to rescue an elderly gentleman who had become stranded while trying to travel through a flooded rural road. After completing this call we checked the vehicle totally submerged and found it to be unoccupied.

“At 5:30 p.m. we were dispatched again to rescue a woman who attempted to drive through floodwaters and became stranded in her minivan, with water deep enough to reach the seats in the vehicle.

“We successfully made all rescues with no incident and no injuries - thanks to the top notch hovercraft from Neoteric and the outstanding training we received from Steven Stafford and Chris, the owner of Neoteric.”

Here are a couple of photos of Brownstown’s hovercraft in action during their rescues …

We at Neoteric congratulate Chief McElfresh and Brownstown Fire Department’s first responders for their courage, determination and their prompt response in dire circumstances … and for being such fast learners in their flight training course!

Read more about Rescue Hovercraft

and

Hovercraft Flight Training

Neoteric Rescue Hovercraft excel in Homeland Security exercise

Last week, three Neoteric rescue hovercraft were featured in a major Indiana Department of Homeland Security flood rescue exercise, attended by the Directors of numerous Emergency Management Agencies.

The attendees expressed great surprise at how fast Neoteric hovercraft can maneuver and perform water and flood rescues. After all, Neoteric craft can safely and successfully complete these rescues in a quarter of the time it would take with boats!  

The event took place at the Muscatatuck Urban Training Complex in southern Indiana, the Department of Defense’s largest urban training facility – and immediately appeared as the cover story in the IDHS publication, The Hoosier Responder …

Neoteric Vice President Steve Stafford arranged for the hovercraft to perform in the exercise. Stafford is also a Captain with the Lawrence County Sheriff's Department and the founder of Project H.E.R.O. (Hovercraft Emergency Response Operations), a non-profit organization that uses Neoteric hovercraft to assist rescue and law enforcement agencies in search and rescue missions.

Along with Steve and Susie Stafford with their Project H.E.R.O. hovercraft, other participants included Neoteric President Chris Fitzgerald with a Neoteric flight training hovercraft and first responders from the White River Hazleton Fire Department with their Neoteric rescue hovercraft.

Fire Chief Mark Ellis came to the exercise already impressed with the performance of his department’s hovercraft. As he says, “Our hovercraft can go right over a log, rocky shallow waters, sand, mud, you name it.”

The Muscatatuck Urban Training Complex is used for a variety of training scenarios by a multitude of civilian and military organizations, both foreign and domestic. The 974-acre site offers a globally unique urban and rural multi-domain environment that includes a 180-acre reservoir and more than 120 structures. As described on its website, the facility is “As Real As It Gets.”

As for the Neoteric rescue hovercraft, as this exercise demonstrated, when it comes to water rescue vehicles, they’re as fast, safe and effective as it gets!

Enjoy these few photos of the training exercise, then don’t miss the full gallery …

The attendees playing the roles of victims take their places on the submerged structures
at the Muscatatuck Urban Training Complex.

The three Neoteric hovercraft prepare to launch and perform flood rescue exercises.

Steve Stafford pilots his Project H.E.R.O. Neoteric rescue hovercraft.

White River Hazleton Fire Department's Neoteric hovercraft performs a water rescue.

First responders:

Learn more about Neoteric Rescue Hovercraft …

VIDEO: Neoteric Hovercraft Perform Texas Flood Rescues

After being hit with catastrophic storms this month, much of Texas – including Houston, the fourth-largest city in the U.S. - has been turned into a flood disaster zone. Massive search and rescue operations are ongoing, hindered by debris in the floodwaters and by continuing rain causing flash floods from already-swollen rivers.

The one positive note for this storm-battered state is that several Texas fire departments operate Neoteric rescue hovercraft, which are saving victims in areas that boats and other rescue vehicles can’t reach.

The CBS news video below shows one example. At 6:30 this morning in a suburb of Dallas, a woman became trapped on top of her submerged car when a nearby creek suddenly overflowed. Just fifteen minutes later, Wylie Fire-Rescue first responders rescued her in their Neoteric hovercraft before she suffered any injuries.

Here you can see for yourself how easily the Rescue HoverTrek operates in shallow, debris-filled water and has the unique maneuverability for up-close access to victims without forcing first responders to enter the water …

The newscasters immediately grasped the importance of hovercraft in flood rescue operations:
“A hovercraft is sometimes the easiest way for the rescuers to get to folks surrounded by these waters … You can’t go out in normal boats because you don’t know what kind of debris is out there … These hovercraft are just a much more effective way …”

Scores of people remain missing, and the death toll in Texas is likely to rise since more storms are expected to batter the state this weekend.  Tragically, the death toll includes first responders - and victims lost to failed rescue attempts by vehicles that can't perform as well as hovercraft in flood rescue operations. A firefighter in Claremore, Oklahoma lost his life when he drowned in muddy water while trying to rescue children, and another firefighter was injured in the same incident. One person died and three are missing in Houston after being swept away when a rescue boat capsized.

Extreme weather events such as this are becoming more and more common. We at Neoteric urge first responders to consider the value of a hovercraft for water, ice, mud and flood rescue operations. It's the most effective vehicle for fast, safe rescues, and it keeps your team above the danger – not in it.

See more Texas flood hovercraft rescues …

Neoteric  Hovercraft Rescues Texas Flood Victims

DRONE VIDEO: Neoteric Hovercraft Searches for Texas Flood Victims

Neoteric Hovercraft Rescues Texas Flood Victims

A rash of tornadoes and thunderstorms battered Texas and Arkansas last Sunday, leaving a path of destruction that caused five deaths and dozens of injuries.

Mansfield, Texas was one of many communities where torrential rains led to widespread flash flooding. Fortunately, the Mansfield Fire Department operates a Neoteric rescue hovercraft, which was used to successfully rescue victims whose vehicles were fully submerged in floodwaters …

Hovercraft are extremely effective in flood rescue operations because they can access areas that boats and other rescue vehicles can't reach. Flat bottom Jon boats and other propeller-driven watercraft are of little use in shallow water or in flood water; debris and obstructions can not only damage rescue boats, but can pose a serious danger to first responders and to those whose lives they are tasked to save.

As Mansfield’s Captain William Franks says about their hovercraft, shown below, “The benefit of having the hovercraft is we do not have to send our personnel into the water to retrieve victims. It can also hover over logs, car tires and any other debris, unlike boats, that could be a hazard in the water. A hovercraft is the answer to a faster rescue – a safer rescue.”

Unlike other vehicles, hovercraft fly on a cushion of air 9 inches above the surface, so they simply glide over swift flowing, debris-filled floodwaters. And, unlike other hovercraft, the Neoteric Hovertrek's patented reverse thrust system gives it the unique capability to brake, back up and hover in place - maneuvers that are critical in flood rescues.

First responders, it's easy to experience for yourself how a Neoteric hovercraft can operate in conditions that prohibit the use of rescue boats - keeping you above the danger, not in it ...

Take a Test Flight or Training Course

and

Read what other first responders say about Neoteric Rescue Hovercraft ...

Why do first responders prefer hovercraft to rescue boats?

With warmer weather ahead, first responders will soon be occupied with water and flood rescues. Unfortunately, too many fire departments and other rescue agencies are still relying on boats rather than hovercraft for water rescue operations.

Why would they need a hovercraft if they already have rescue boats? Here’s a quick video that helps answer that question. The Napoleon, Ohio Fire Department’s Neoteric hovercraft rescues not only a family stuck in a boat on the Maumee River – they also rescue the first responders whose boats became stuck or damaged in the shallow water!

The river was too shallow for the first rescue boat and it became stuck; the rocks clipped the propellers of the second rescue boat - turning this simple rescue into a three-hour ordeal.

Flat bottom Jon boats and other propeller-driven watercraft are of little use in shallow water or in flood water; debris and obstructions can not only damage rescue boats, but can pose a serious danger to first responders and to those whose lives they are tasked to save.

But don't just take our word for it. Read what just a few of our customers have to say about hovercraft versus rescue boats ...

Norman Township Fire Department, Michigan: "We perform water and ice rescues on the rapidly running, narrow, difficult to access Pine River, with rocks, downed trees and steep banks. We considered purchasing a jet boat, but its problems were quickly apparent when, during the company demo, rocks in the river caused the jet boat to break down."

Central Fraser Valley Search & Rescue Society, Canada: "The hovercraft gets us into areas that before we weren't able to reach, areas that our jet boat can't get into because we ingest debris into the impeller. And the hovercraft saves us a lot of time."

Mansfield Fire Department, Texas: "The benefit of having these hovercraft is we do not have to send our personnel into the water to retrieve victims. They're also able to hover over logs, car tires and any other debris, unlike boats, that could be a hazard in the water."

Roswell Fire Department, Georgia: "On low water, our aluminum boat can only go so far. With the hovercraft, we can travel over rocks, shallow water, sandbars."

Snohomish County Fire District 19, Washington: "At the bridge collapse, there was a lot of debris in the water. Boats weren't able to get into the wreckage, but we were able to hover back and forth through the debris and search for victims. We don't have to worry about what's underneath us."

First responders, come experience for yourself how a hovercraft can operate in conditions that prohibit the use of rescue boats - keeping you above the danger, not in it ...

Take a Test Flight or Training Course 

and

Learn more about Neoteric Rescue Hovercraft

The Increasing Importance of Hovercraft

Maritime Reporter and Marine News magazines recently published an article emphasizing the need for hovercraft to play a growing role in maritime operations, due to their singular ability to travel where no other vehicle can go. Here are a few excerpts:

Extreme Applications Demand Specialist Small Craft

With 90% of world trade transported by sea then passing through ports and waterways, no amount of technology will replace the requirement for multiple small fast craft and skilled operators.

Mobility plus the ability to operate in shallow areas are critical capabilities for small craft. 

Rising Up: Hovercraft

Small hovercraft have a growing role to play in search and rescue, commercial and military operations around the world. Hovercraft can be a practical proposition for operations in areas inaccessible to other vehicles including frozen water, mud flats, intertidal areas, shallow rivers and flooded inland areas. Perceived to be environmentally sound, as they don’t exhaust into the water, create no wash and do not disturb the sea bed, they are also economical and do not endanger marine animals as there is no propeller in the water. 

###

Enjoy a few photos of Neoteric hovercraft in action around the world

that confirm these capabilities ...

Neoteric commercial hovercraft utilized in Kuwait intertidal zone

Neoteric hovercraft were used on Kuwait's intertidal zone to survey the environmental damage inflicted by the 1991 Persian Gulf War oil fires. The hovercraft was the only vehicle capable of operating on the thick mud.

Wilkes-Barre Fire Department Neoteric rescue hovercraft

The Wilkes-Barre Fire Department’s Neoteric rescue hovercraft soars over broken ice on the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania during ice rescue practice. The craft’s 9-inch deep air cushion and patented reverse thrust enables it to safely maneuver over jagged, broken, snow-covered ice floes.

Neoteric rescue hovercraft deployed in 2014 Washington mudslide

Snohomish County Fire District 19’s rescue hovercraft were deployed from the initial alarm at the massive Oso, Washington mudslide. First responder Trent Nunemaker said, “Our hovercraft can navigate through floating debris and logs, so we’re able to cross the flooded valley and access the debris field. These Neoteric craft are able to quickly and safely access almost any environment.”

Finally, you’ve probably seen the viral video of the Neoteric craft rescuing three exhausted deer, stranded on the ice for days on Albert Lea Lake in Minnesota - but it's worth watching again! 

As the media reported, "Hovercraft are kind of a genius idea here ... Boats and jet skis are pretty useless on ice and snowmobiles fall through ice if it won't hold their weight. Hovercraft can fly over any surface, so they save many lives. If you fall through the ice, or get sucked into mud or quicksand, better hope someone locally has a hovercraft handy."

Neoteric hosts Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Interior

Although Neoteric may be hidden away in Terre Haute, Indiana, the scope of our business is thoroughly global, with clientele in more than 50 nations.

Indicative of Neoteric’s international reach, a delegation of Major Generals from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ministry of Interior’s Directorate of Civil Defense recently visited Terre Haute to learn more about Neoteric hovercraft and take a Test Flight at Hovercraft Training Centers.

The delegation poses for a quick photo before they begin their Test Flight on the Wabash River. From left: Major General Al Garni Abdullah Mohammed, Major General Almohammadi, Hasan Eid T, Major General Almubdel Hamad Abdulaziz, Major General Abojalid Saad Abdulrahman and, in the rear seat, Neoteric founder / Hovercraft Training Centers Senior Instructor Chris Fitzgerald …

Although Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s driest nations, in recent years it has been severely afflicted by flash floods resulting in casualties. In January 2014 Saudi Civil Defense received more than 8,212 emergency calls in 24 hours during a flood in Riyadh. In March, seven people died in floods that hit the northern Saudi province Hail. And in both 2009 and 2011, floods devastated the Red Sea port of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, killing hundreds.

Because the Saudi flooding consists of deluges of swiftwater in which rescue boats and in-water rescue equipment cannot be used, the Ministry of Interior is considering the use of hovercraft for flood rescue operations. Since hovercraft fly above the surface and can navigate through fast-flowing currents, they are often the only viable vehicle for flood rescue efforts.

Flood conditions existed on the Wabash River during their test flight, and the demonstration included accessing flooded farm fields. The current on the Wabash was flowing at 6-7 mph in places – similar to the swiftwater experienced in the Jeddah floods.

During their test flight, the Saudi Major Generals experienced the unequaled capability of the Neoteric hovercraft’s reverse thrust system, which enables it to fly backward and brake, unlike other hovercraft on the market. This ability is particularly essential in flood rescues, when debris must be avoided, and often the only way out is to back up ...

After their Test Flight, Chris Fitzgerald gave the delegation a tour of the Neoteric Hovercraft factory …

After fully documenting their visit to Neoteric Hovercraft to aid in their decision-making, the Saudi Major Generals traveled to the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis to attend the FDIC Show, the annual Fire Department Instructor Conference & Exhibition, which is the world’s largest firefighter training conference.