Sneedville pilot to drop off water purifiers in Turkey following deadly disaster

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Pilot Joe Hurston with Airmobile Ministries, is soaring the skies, again. On Thursday, he told WVLT News he is taking two volunteers with him to Turkey.

After Monday’s earthquake, more than 21,000 people were confirmed dead and the number was expected to rise. The U.S. State Department confirmed three Americans were among the thousands killed. American rescue teams are now on the ground, with search dogs and heavy equipment helping dig through the rubble there.

Hurston and his team planned to deliver 14 of his water purifiers, which is a life-saving tool designed to avoid people from being exposed to contaminated water after a disaster.

Just one unit is enough clean drinking water to serve 500 people a day.

“Time is of the essence, I couldn’t sleep at all last night,” said Hurston. “It’s very possibly the worst is yet to come. We may lose more people to disease and freezing than anything else. So, it’s a horrifying situation right now. And that’s why it’s so crucial that we just go.”

The team traveled around the world, but this trip will be equipped with more and improved units that can last a lifetime.

The pilot and his team are flying to Turkey Friday morning and planned to stay for a week. Click here to donate and follow the mission.

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