Army Black Hawks airlift 200+ stranded campers as Missouri floods trigger more 350 rescues

In a high-stakes rescue operation Friday, Army National Guard Black Hawk helicopters swooped into Reynolds County, Missouri, to airlift 202 young campers and staff members stranded by rapidly rising floodwaters at Camp Taum Sauk along the Black River in the Missouri Ozarks.

Video released by the Missouri State Highway Patrol captured the tense moments as children ran to board the waiting helicopters.

The campers, aged 8 to 16, and their counselors were successfully evacuated and taken to St. Louis, where they were safely reunited with their families, troopers said.

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"We are beyond thankful for your help keeping our camp community safe," Camp Taum Sauk officials posted in an Instagram post Saturday morning, expressing gratitude to the National Guard, Reynolds County 911 Emergency Responders and the local Arcadia community.

The historic coed camp has been in operation in Lesterville, roughly 125 miles south of St. Louis, since 1946.

The camper rescue comes just over a year after the Guadalupe River in Texas Hill Country flooded on July 4, 2025, taking the lives of at least 135 people, including 28 people at all-girls Camp Mystic. 

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Nearby, operators of the Bearcat Getaway campground closed their facilities for the weekend and confirmed on Facebook Friday afternoon that all campers and staff were safe and accounted for.

The dramatic aerial rescue at Camp Taum Sauk was part of a large, coordinated emergency response across Missouri after a relentless storm system dumped 6 to 12 inches of rain on central, south-central and southeastern parts of the state.

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Following an executive order by Gov. Mike Kehoe declaring a state of emergency, local emergency personnel performed at least 351 swift-water rescues across the region.

"Missouri’s first responders once again answered the call with extraordinary bravery, professionalism, and compassion," Kehoe wrote in a statement on Facebook.

State officials are urging vigilance as the National Weather Service warned the already saturated soils could see an additional 2 to 4 inches of rainfall through the weekend.