A Mi-8 helicopter, part of the Russian Emergencies Ministry, was dispatched from Kazan toward the Perm Region to assist in locating missing travelers. The department’s press service confirmed the mission, noting that the aircraft would soon join the search area with a team of rescuers aboard. The operation is coordinated as part of ongoing efforts to track down a rafting party that disappeared while on a river route in the Perm Territory.
According to the latest briefing, the helicopter is carrying four rescuers into Perm, including two medical specialists from the Ministry of Emergency Situations. The plan is for the aircraft to reach the designated search zone and begin reconnaissance, leveraging aerial perspective to spot potential signs of the group and coordinate ground teams on arrival.
Authorities reported that in the morning hours of July 11, the missing party was known to be in the Perm Territory while engaging in a river rafting excursion. The numbers involved were 11 adults and 11 children. The party had set out on July 4 along a rafting route with the goal of reaching the village of Srednyaya Usva via the Usva River by July 9, but contact with the travelers was lost along the way.
Telegram sources described the group as traveling in four catamarans. The travelers were all acquainted with one another, and among them the youngest participant was five years old. The four-boat arrangement suggested a coordinated but varied itinerary, with multiple groups moving together for safety and companionship during the journey.
As the search unfolded, responders had already covered more than 40 kilometers of terrain in the area. The operation began under the cover of night to maximize visibility for any clues, yet officials confirmed that no definite findings had been made at that stage. Rescue teams continued to map the terrain, assess river conditions, and check potential campsites or shoreline eddies where the group might have sought shelter.
In related developments, discussions in the public sphere touched on methods used in risk assessment and search planning for river expeditions. While the current focus is on locating the missing rafting party, experts note that weather patterns, river flow, and terrain complexity all shape how search efforts are deployed and how quickly information can be obtained. The situation underscores the importance of early warnings, reliable communications, and the rapid mobilization of resources in remote regions, especially when minors are involved. Outlets tracking the incident have emphasized the need for coordinated interagency action, as well as continuous updates from field teams as the operation progresses. The broader context of such events includes ongoing studies by scientists on locating people after emergencies and the practical measures that improve survival odds in challenging river environments.