Good morning to all the citizens of Adams County, Concordia Parish and surrounding areas.

I decided to write this article to inform you of a little-known organization that is there to assist people in need.

This organization is the Adams County Search and Rescue Unit.

We are an all volunteer non-profit group of individuals from all walks of life working under the direction of the Adams County Sheriff’s Office and the Adams County Emergency Management Director.

Until recently, many people didn’t know we existed. During the month of August we had a fundraiser to help support our unit, and it was met with great success.

While working on the fundraiser, many of our members were asked who we were and what purpose we serve. We are one of the few volunteer entities that are established to assist citizens in need. However, what sets us apart is that our calls are mostly for emergency situations in which no one else could respond.

We are on call 24/7 for everything from storm damage assessments, stranded boaters, lost hunters, drownings and missing adults and children. We also provide the sheriff’s investigative division with trained, experienced manpower for detailed evidence searches.

We have also had the privilege of assisting a family at their request to commit the ashes of a loved one into the Mississippi River. This service was conducted by one of our own members who is a clergyman.

We are the only volunteer group that own and operate our own rescue boat. Our primary area of responsibility is from Port Gibson to St. Francisville, La.

We provide safety support to the annual Phatwater Kayak Race and the Great Mississippi River Balloon Race held each year in October.

This season our rescue group worked the above mentioned events with a borrowed boat due to the final demise of our 1981 Mercury outboard motor.

Our motor failed during an inspection of the bridge after it was struck by a barge at 3 a.m. one morning in which we deemed it unsafe for duty.

Which brings me to the point of this letter. Today, we will begin a fundraising campaign to replace this motor. We are asking for your help and support to obtain this motor so that we may respond to all those who use and enjoy the local waterways.

For further information please feel free to contact our treasurer Charles Feltus at 601-431-8285 or myself at 601-807-1579. Thank you for support and any help or assistance you may give us will be greatly appreciated.

Everard Baker is the director of the Adams County Search and Rescue Unit.