Mules that provided aid after Hurricane Helene dead after getting hit on road

MOUNT ULLA, N.C. -- Among the idyllic landscapes of Mount Ulla, there is a sadness wafting through the community where two mules and a horse that carried supplies to victims of Hurricane Helene were hit and killed last weekend.

The three animals, named Vader, Kev, and Amigo, were struck by a semi-truck on a road. A tree fell on a fence, leaving an opening for the three faithful equines to escape their pasture, according to a post on the Mountain Mule Packer Ranch Facebook page.

"We could not be more heartbroken over this incredible loss, and it is with great pain that we share it with you, as we know many of you have also fallen in love with these sweet animals," the ranch said in the post.

The packs of mules trekked through treacherous roadways and rocky mountainsides to deliver food, water and building supplies to those devastated by the hurricane. The mules helped deliver disaster relief from western North Carolina to eastern Tennessee, the ranch said on social media.

The organization's mission is to provide mule training and packing instruction for civilian and military groups. The animals are equipped to carry gear and resources for weapon groups, communication teams and medical teams in remote environments, according to the ranch.

The hard work of these mules and their tireless efforts united the community after the tragedy of Hurricane Helene, Mountain Mule Packers' co-founder Michele Toberer said. Since the devastating cyclone hit Appalachia in September, the mules have played an integral part in relief efforts, especially in areas inaccessible by vehicles, the animals' owner said.

Hurricane Helene was a Category 4 storm that created a 500-mile path of destruction from Florida to North Carolina with catastrophic flooding, damaging winds and power outages. Helene is one of the costliest tropical cyclones to ever hit the United States, resulting in nearly $80 billion in damage. At least 106 people were killed as a result of the storm, according to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

In November, the ranch created a Christian non-profit disaster response organization known as Mission Mules to continue hurricane relief. The community was beautifully unified by their work, Toberer explained.

"They brought more than just supplies to people. It's that they were bringing hope to people because there were so many people that felt like they were forgotten," Toberer said. "Just the fact that these mules were coming brought a smile to their face."

Despite this tragic loss, the disaster relief organization pushes forward with its mission. The team and its mules are hosting a distribution event in Black Mountain, North Carolina for those continuing to be impacted by Helene's aftermath.

"The thought of leaving on Saturday without the other three is already heartbreaking for us, so we're preparing ourselves for that," Toberer said. "Their work ethic and what they've done with the people in western North Carolina taught us in the last few months that when something unimaginable happens, we still keep going."

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