From Carolinas to Kentucky: UNC doctors-in-training stage impromptu airlift to aid flood victims

In Kentucky, dozens are dead, hundreds are still missing and thousands are in desperate need of help following historic flooding.

On Tuesday, two University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Neurosurgery medical residents stepped in with some help from above.

For Randi Barnett, the first sign something was wrong, was a text.

"My best friend in Kentucky asked if my family was OK. I tried to get ahold of my parents, my sister. [I] couldn't get ahold of anyone," said Barnett.

After hours of worry, she found out why. Barnett saw pictures of her father on a rescue boat with water in every direction. There were also cars tossed like toys and houses submerged, including her family's.

"Everyone up my holler lost their homes," said Barnett. "My whole community was destroyed, and so, all I wanted to do was get back home, and I'm being told that there's no physical way for me to get there."

That was until Sunday night when she happened to be working with another resident named Phillip Sholes.

"I cannot tell you how much of a hero he is," said Barnett.

Sholes is a licensed pilot and former Navy Flight surgeon. In just over 24 hours, he tracked down a plane, mapped out a route and was ready to take Barnett where roads no longer could.

"That's what I felt compelled to do," said Sholes.

"It's like, Oh, this is real.' He really wants to do this," said Barnett.

Sholes and Barnett loaded the plane with clothes, shoes, water and more for those in need.

"I think we maxed out at 350 pounds of supplies that we were able to take" said Barnett.

By Tuesday afternoon, they were landing in Hazard, Kentucky, and meeting a ground crew of familiar faces.

"My mom, my sister, my brother in law and also my aunt and uncle," said Barnett. "It was a lot different seeing them in person than just hearing their voices on a phone, so that really meant a lot to me."

A day later, Shoals and Barnett are back to work at UNC.

Barnett said she hopes their help from above meant something to the people stuck below.

"I really hope that what we did sends a message to people that there's so many people out here who care about you," she said.

The help isn't stopping here. Barnett said she's driving back home in a few weeks with more supplies.

For anyone here interested in helping, she's encouraging people to donate to Team Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief or Aspire App​alachia.