Last December, a small civilian plane bound for Cuiabá, Brazil, took off from the city of Pimenta Bueno. When the plane lost contact with air traffic control and never reached its final destination, authorities knew something was wrong.

As they began to search for the plane, intense rain and fog thwarted their efforts. The Brazilian Air Force was called in to assist the search effort using their Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopters.

Soon, initial responders from the 2º/10º Aviation Group, Esquadrão Pelicano from Campo Grande, arrived and began searching. They were soon joined by their comrades from 5º/8º Aviation Group, Esquadrão Pantera from Santa Maria, who happened to be in the area for upcoming training operations with their Black Hawks.

Three days after the prop plane’s initial crash, the Brazilian Air Force found its occupants alive in a dense forest near Mato Grosso. They promptly escorted the rescued pilots to safety, where they were treated for their injuries.

Because of the dedicated search and rescue efforts of these Brazilian Air Force squadrons, two lives were saved.

Sikorsky’s founder, Igor Sikorsky, once said: "It would be right to say that the helicopter's role in saving lives represents one of the most glorious pages in the history of human flight.”

The heroic actions we see our customers taking around the world are what inspire us to support them with our aircraft — and it is their work that propels mankind forward in our quest to make the world a better place, and to continue making Igor’s dreams a reality.

Read more on the rescue here.