In late August, Daniel Binda, a Liberian resident of Margibi County, was on a usual fishing expedition in Farmington River in his canoe when disaster struck. The river was swollen by heavy rains and the torrent caused his canoe to capsize, tossing him into the fast-moving current. Clinging on to a rock and a tree trunk midstream prevented him from plunging over a waterfall a few feet away.

Binda was some 1,000 feet from land and water level was rising. Nobody had noticed his predicament until later in the day. Liberia National Police arrived at the scene only to discover that the width and flow of the river made it impossible to reach the stranded man or to throw a lifeline to him. Binda clung on to his life overnight.

The next morning the RIA/Harbel teamsite was notified and went to the scene with LNP Deputy Commissioner Robert Saah to evaluate the situation. At this point the water had risen to Binda’s chest level and the rock surface was disappearing fast, leaving only the trunk of a dead tree for him to hang on to.

Unable to rescue the victim, they notified UNPOL Operations. Without wasting any time, UNPOL Operations staff used their knowledge, expertise and skills to coordinate with the teamsite to obtain precise coordinates of the victim and then successfully negotiated to have an air rescue mounted as there was no river rescue service available with the expertise to negotiate these extremely hazardous waters.

Soon an aerial rescue was launched by the UNMIL Ukrainian Aviation Unit helicopter crew with a Master Diver and aerial rescue equipment aboard. After 30 minutes of working in difficult cross winds and rising water, the victim was firmly attached and lifted to the helicopter before he succumbed to hypothermia as a result of being in the water for nearly 30 hours. He was airlifted from the river to Spriggs-Payne Airfield where a JORMED ambulance was waiting to transport him to JFK hospital in Monrovia for treatment.

In what seemed like an eternity for the various partners, a successful search and rescue operation saw Daniel Binda of Sumo Town brought to safety with his family breathing a sigh of relief. Special Representative of the Secretary-General Karin Landgren expressed relief at the safety of the gentleman and congratulated the LNP as well as the Ukrainian Aviation Unit and other sections on the commendable rescue and cooperative effort.

Special Representative of the Secretary-General Karin Landgren expressed relief at the safety of the gentleman and congratulated the LNP as well as the Ukrainian Aviation Unit and other sections on the commendable rescue and cooperative effort.

“I am very happy that the Liberian man is safe and will be with his family soon. There cannot be a higher human endeavour than to save valuable lives. I commend the Liberian National Police and the UNMIL staff who conducted the rescue operation in such rough weather conditions,” said Landgren. “We in UNMIL share a special relationship with the people of Liberia and that bond is stronger than rough currents.”