FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A Forsyth County Battalion Chief traveled to the Bahamas on Thursday by automobile, plane, and boat.
Battalion Chief Paige Colwell drove from her home in Stone Mountain last week down to Thomasville where she met up with a rescue law enforcement officer. The pair drove the rest of the way to Ocala where they got onto a private plane operated through AERObridge, an NBAA–endorsed group of experienced aviation specialists who coordinate emergency aviation response during disasters.
The plane took them to Fort Lauderdale where they drove to West Palm Beach to make it aboard the Bahamas Celebration boat which took them to Freeport.
Once in Freeport, Colwell volunteered at the airport coordinating other supply flights with AEROBridge. "This group really deserves all of the credit, the work they are doing down there is incredible. They work all day during the heat trying to get supplies to people on the island. They have planes coming in everyday bringing resources to get the island back up and running," says Colwell.
Colwell, also an avid diver, says she considers Freeport her second home. The firefighter traveled to the Bahamas on her own time to assist in the rescue efforts.
"I have dived down there for years and most of my friends are there, so I didn't give it a second thought," says Colwell.
The firefighter is volunteering her time in Freeport and Port Lucaya. She says the people she has met on the island are resilient, "I met Rosemae, who has 6 kids and 5 adults in her household now because she is sheltering others. She was still smiling and saying it was a blessed day."
Forsyth County firefighter in Bahamas
Colwell, who has been regularly posting requests for help and updates to her Facebook account, says the damage in some areas is devastating, but the worst of it is the flooding. "Some structures that are still standing were roof deep in saltwater for days, which ultimately ruined everything inside," says the firefighter.
The Battalion Chief says the needs are multifaceted, "they need supplies for everyday life, but also the things for long-term that got ruined in the storm...if they had a car, it doesn't run anymore...basically, everything they had isn't usable."
Colwell says the best thing people can do is support the island's tourism efforts, "tourism is how the island survives...there are over 700 islands down here and most of these islands are open to visitors. Tourists are badly needed."
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