Detroit Radio: WJR's Mitch Albom Rescued From Haiti

A group from Michigan trapped in Haiti in recent days that included Radio and Detroit Free Press columnist Mitch Albom was rescued by helicopter overnight Tuesday in an operation organized by Florida U.S. Rep. Cory Mills, lawmakers said.

Albom was in Port-au-Prince for a monthly visit to the orphanage operated by his charity, Michigan U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain told The Detroit News. Eight of the 10 people extracted in the rescue were from Michigan, according to McClain's office.

McClain said she learned about Albom’s situation Saturday from a constituent and immediately started making calls to help.

“I mean, the work he does is really good work,” McClain said of the longtime radio host NSC Detroit newspaper columnist, author and radio host. “But he took 10 individuals down there, and they were stuck.”

McClain disclosed the overnight helicopter rescue mission Tuesday morning during a House Armed Services Committee hearing. She said she asked Mills to get involved because there was apparently "no plan" from the U.S. government to get out those who were stranded amid major civil unrest in Haiti.

I am back on American soil. Thank you to all have supported us during this difficult week. My wife and I are safe tonight. Many Americans, Canadians, and others who are still stuck are not. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/nzbQDWAGtI

— 𝐌𝐢𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐀𝐥𝐛𝐨𝐦 (@MitchAlbom) March 13, 2024

The operation played out amid a state of emergency in Haiti after armed gangs waged violence, managed a mass prison break last week and attacked police stations, leading to the suspension of flights from the airport.

The gangs have demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who announced Monday he would step down after a transitional council is set up.

Earlier this month, Albom went to Haiti to visit the orphanage that he has run since 2010. The visit came months after a devastating earthquake ravaged the country’s infrastructure and killed at least 100,000. Early in Albom’s visit, the Haitian government declared a state of emergency after there were two mass prison breaks in the country. On Tuesday, Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced plans to resign while stranded in Puerto Rico.

Albom was sheltering in place at the orphanage for more than a week as the Haitian capital devolved into chaos. All the while, McClain and her staff made calls. “We tried to use the government channels. … We tried to go through the proper channels,” she said. “No one was calling us back. We couldn’t get any answers.”

Finally, frustrated — and knowing the desperation Albom and his party were feeling as the situation deteriorated — she contacted U.S. Rep. Cory Mills (R-Florida), an Army veteran who served with the 82nd Airborne Command, and has in the past played a role in getting Americans out of other countries in dangerous situations, including Afghanistan and Israel.