Arizona Tribune - Grey Bull Rescue Executes Massive Evacuation of 353 Trapped Americans within 24-Hours of Landfall from Jamaica Following Category 5 Hurricane Melissa

TAMPA, FL / ACCESS Newswire / November 5, 2025 / Grey Bull Rescue has successfully completed a massive multi-aircraft evacuation of 353 American citizens stranded in Jamaica after Category 5 Hurricane Melissa devastated the island, cutting off access, power, and communications across Montego Bay, one of the hardest-hit regions.

The evacuation took place as soon as Hurricane Melissa passed across two consecutive days - the first rescue flight on Friday, October 31, and the second on Saturday, November 1 - marking the full completion of Operation: ISLAND CROSS within a 24-hour window from when the Ops team landed in Montego Bay. This was Grey Bull Rescue's 797^th successful operation.

In true Grey Bull Rescue fashion, the elite team of special operations veterans, intelligence officers, pilots, paramedics, and volunteers deployed into a catastrophic environment with no infrastructure, no communications, and no local resources, with only mission readiness, resolve, and top-tier expertise. Within hours, Grey Bull's Field Operations Team landed a PC-12 aircraft on a damaged, flooded runway and began coordinating complex extractions for stranded Americans.

"What we found was total devastation and isolation - no power, no comms, an inch of water on the floor of the FBO - but that's exactly where Grey Bull operates best," said Bryan Stern, Founder and Chairman of Grey Bull Rescue. "Less than 24 hours after infiltrating via Pc-12 into what looked and felt like a war zone, we were exfiltrating with more than 350 Americans - fully case-managed, fully vetted - on not one but two Airbus A320 charter aircraft bound for safety and home."

The mission was carried out in partnership with Black Flag Response, who deployed forward with Grey Bull Rescue. Black Flag is a veteran- and first-responder-led medical nonprofit that provided on-site emergency medical care to evacuees.

"Black Flag Response led the medical side - administering fluids, treating injuries, providing meds - while Grey Bull led the rescue, Starlink communications, and exfiltration aspects," Stern said. "That partnership worked flawlessly and represents a sustainable, integrated model for future operations, mobility-medical-comms-rescue."

With the need for evacuations essentially complete, Grey Bull Rescue will return to Jamaica this week with approximately 200 pallets of humanitarian aid, including medical supplies, shelf-stable food, water, Starlink communication systems, and power equipment to restore critical access for communities in need.

"The rescue of Americans trapped is only phase one," Stern added. "Now we go back to help rebuild, to resupply, and to bring relief to those still suffering in the wake of Hurricane Melissa."

MEDIA OPPORTUNITY: Several evacuees, alongside Bryan Stern of Grey Bull Rescue, are available for interviews to share their firsthand accounts of being trapped in Jamaica and the experience of being rescued and evacuated by Grey Bull Rescue's team.

Grey Bull Rescue continues to operate at the Speed of Need, powered entirely by donations, volunteers, and mission partners who share the organization's credo: Don't Be a Spectator.

Donations to support ongoing humanitarian operations can be made at https://greybullrescue.org/pledge-your-support/
Those still in need of assistance may register at https://greybullrescue.org/request-help/

About Grey Bull Rescue:

Founded by Bryan Stern, Grey Bull Rescue is a veteran-led, 501(c)(3) nonprofit rescue organization headquartered in Tampa, Florida. The organization specializes in operating within "The Grey Space"-conflict zones and disaster areas where the U.S. Government may not be able to operate. Grey Bull Rescue has conducted daring rescues of Americans and allies from hostile regions including Afghanistan, Ukraine, Russia, Sudan, Haiti, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and Gaza including hostages and victims of war crimes. The team also leads domestic response missions, such as the 2023 Maui wildfires, LA wildfires, and Hurricanes Ian, Helene, and Milton. To date, the Grey Bull Rescue team has completed 797 rescue missions and saved the lives of nearly 8,400 men, women, children, and babies.

Media Contact:

Jennifer Vickery
Tel: 813.865.3093
Email: [email protected]
[email protected]

SOURCE: Grey Bull Rescue

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

M.O.Allen--AT