1,400 Minnesotans Volunteer with Civil Air Patrol

When a small aircraft crashes or a person goes missing, a group called the Civil Air Patrol responds.

KSTP went on one of their training missions this week in Lakeville as they searched for a simulated downed aircraft with an injured pilot.

The Civil Air Patrol is responsible for more than 90 percent of inland search and rescues in the U.S., and there are more than 1,400 members in Minnesota – all of whom are volunteers.

“They have the opportunity to help other people, and for somebody that's in an emergency situation, the best thing they can have is to know that somebody is going to respond and come and help them or find them if they are lost or down or injured,” says Maj. Paul Van Brunt of the Civil Air Patrol.

The Civil Air Patrol saves an average of 80 lives a year.

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