When every second counted, aerial support provided critical visibility.
On the night of April 19, 2025, relentless downpours hammered Moore, Oklahoma. Streets flooded rapidly. Drainage systems were overwhelmed. Entire vehicles were swept into rising creeks as first responders worked to reach people in danger.
At Southeast 12th Street and South Eastern Avenue, two vehicles were pulled into a flood-swollen drainage channel. One—a pickup truck carrying a father and his child—was swept on top of another vehicle. The occupants of the truck were rescued.
But the second car, carrying a mother, father, and 12-year-old son, was pulled beneath the current and pinned against a culvert downstream. The father managed to escape and was pulled to safety in serious condition.
The mother and child were missing.
Rescue teams immediately launched a search along the creek. The water was fast-moving, filled with debris, and the rain continued to fall. Moore Fire and Police Departments, EMSSTAT, and crews from Norman and Oklahoma City Fire Departments began searching the area—deploying aerial ladders, ropes, and lights. One firefighter was suspended over the water from a ladder truck in a desperate attempt to spot the vehicle.
The current was too strong, and visibility was limited.
NERVT was requested to assist during flood response operations in Moore, Oklahoma, providing aerial search support and situational awareness during an active missing person incident.
Operating under the direction of local authorities, NERVT deployed UAV resources to assist in search efforts within a challenging flood environment. During the operation, NERVT's aerial capabilities contributed to the location of the missing individual, providing critical information to responding agencies.
This incident reflects NERVT's role as a supplemental ESF-9 resource, providing rapid aerial search capability in support of local emergency response operations.
It was a coordinated, multi-agency response, with each organization contributing to the overall operation.
Everyone on scene played a critical role in the response, including:
Sadly, despite the best efforts of everyone on scene, both the mother and son were found deceased in the early morning hours of April 20th. The tragedy made headlines across the state—and beyond.
While the outcome was tragic, aerial support provided additional visibility during challenging low-light flood conditions, contributing to ongoing search efforts and providing critical information to responders on scene.
Aerial visibility improves situational awareness in low-light and high-risk environments
Rapid deployment provides support in conditions where access is limited
Supplemental resources enhance the effectiveness of coordinated response operations
NERVT operates as a volunteer-supported organization, with equipment, training, and operational readiness sustained through community support.
During incidents like this, aerial capabilities provide critical situational awareness in conditions where visibility and access are limited.
Continued support ensures that this capability remains available to assist responding agencies when requested.